A Chinese destroyer came perilously close to the US destroyer Decatur as it sailed 12 nautical miles off Gaven and Johnson reefs in the Spratly Islands.  The Chinese destroyer is reported to have approached within 45 yards of the Decatur, which maneuvered to prevent a collision.

The Spratly Islands in the South China Sea are variously claimed by China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Vietnam. In recent years, China has been attempting to enforce their claims of sovereignty over the 45 scattered islands and 100 or so reefs that make up the archipelago. The United States does not recognize the Chinese claims and recently sent the USS Decatur to the Spratly Islands as part of what the US Navy calls freedom of navigation operations, which are meant to enforce the right of free passage in international waters.

“A (People’s Republic of China) Luyang destroyer approached USS Decatur in an unsafe and unprofessional maneuver in the vicinity of Gaven Reef in the South China Sea,” Capt. Charles Brown, a spokesman for US Pacific Fleet, told CNN in a statement confirming the incident. Brown said the Chinese warship “conducted a series of increasingly aggressive maneuvers accompanied by warnings for the Decatur to depart the area.”

The Chines replied that the US was violating its sovereignty. 

“The US has been repeatedly sending warships to the islands and the adjacent waters in the South China Sea, which has seriously threatened China’s sovereignty and safety,” Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said Tuesday.

“The Chinese military will resolutely perform its defense duties and continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard our sovereignty and the regional peace and stability,” Wu said.