China urges U.S. to halt surveillance near its shores

[MKopack]

China urges U.S. to halt surveillance near its shores

By Lucy Hornby

BEIJING (Reuters) - China called on the United States to reduce and eventually halt air and sea military surveillance close to its shores after a series of territorial disputes this year.

The request was made during a special session on maritime safety between the two countries' militaries on Wednesday and Thursday, Xinhua news agency said on Thursday, citing China's Defense Ministry.

Five times this year, Chinese vessels have confronted U.S. surveillance ships in Asian waters, the U.S. Defense Department said in May. China said the U.S. vessels had intruded its territory. There has since been a sixth incident.

"China believes the constant U.S. military air and sea surveillance and survey operations in China's exclusive economic zone had led to military confrontations between the two sides," the ministry said.

"The way to resolve China-U.S. maritime incidents is for the U.S. to change its surveillance and survey operations policies against China, decrease and eventually stop such operations."

Susan Stevenson, spokeswoman at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, confirmed the request.

"Our position has not changed," Stevenson said, citing a U.S. Undersecretary of Defense Michele Flournoy statement during a June visit to China that the U.S. "exercises its freedom of navigation while putting emphasis on taking care to avoid any unwanted incidents."

The United States maintains on principle that waters beyond 12 miles offshore are open to all shipping, while China holds that the U.S. should not trespass within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

In March, five Chinese vessels approached the USNS Impeccable in the South China Sea about 75 miles from Hainan Island in March, after hassling that ship, as well as the ocean surveillance ship Victorious in the Yellow Sea, in previous days.

In May, two Chinese fishing vessels confronted the Victorious again.

In June, a Chinese submarine collided with an underground sonar array being towed by the destroyer USS John McCain, near Subic Bay in the Philippines.

The most serious recent confrontation between China and the U.S. was in 2001, when a U.S. naval surveillance aircraft flying about 70 miles off Hainan collided with a Chinese fighter and was forced to land on Hainan Island.

[HoHum]

Riiiiiight. We'll get right on that, guys.

Maybe they're watching the al-Qaida successfully manipulate the media and want to try their hand at it. How many people in the general population are surprised by this and think we should stop?

Edited August 27, 2009 by The_Ginger

[PapaJu]

Yeah, like they won't be trawling our shores when they get the capability.

[Vertigo]

Yeah, like they won't be trawling our shores when they get the capability.

No need- they just implant malicious code in our thumb drives and our computer processors that do the work for them.

[Lord B]

No need- they just implant malicious code in our thumb drives and our computer processors that do the work for them.

Exactly. Cyber espionage is very much running behind the scenes.

[StoleIt]

The United States maintains on principle that waters beyond 12 miles offshore are open to all shipping, while China holds that the U.S. should not trespass within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

Wow yea...200 miles huh? That means Taiwan is inside the Chinese "exclusive economic zone." We better move that island...

In June, a Chinese submarine collided with an underground sonar array being towed by the destroyer USS John McCain, near Subic Bay in the Philippines.

Thats outside their "exclusive economic zone!" But I bet it was still our fault...

The most serious recent confrontation between China and the U.S. was in 2001, when a U.S. naval surveillance aircraft flying about 70 miles off Hainan collided with a Chinese fighter and was forced to land on Hainan Island.

Okay this incident still seriously pisses me off. Our surveillance P-3 didn't collide with the Chinese fighter. The Chinese fighter collided with our P-3!!! Four engine turboprop flying straight and level or a fighter jet doing high speed passes...who do you think is at fault?!

[Phil Ken Sebben]

You gotta watch those towed underground sonar arrays, they can be tricky!

[Guest Comic Relief]

China urges U.S. to halt surveillance near its shores

In March, five Chinese vessels approached the USNS Impeccable in the South China Sea about 75 miles from Hainan Island in March, after hassling that ship, as well as the ocean surveillance ship Victorious in the Yellow Sea, in previous days.

In May, two Chinese fishing vessels confronted the Victorious again.

In June, a Chinese submarine collided with an underground sonar array being towed by the destroyer USS John McCain, near Subic Bay in the Philippines.

The most serious recent confrontation between China and the U.S. was in 2001, when a U.S. naval surveillance aircraft flying about 70 miles off Hainan collided with a Chinese fighter and was forced to land on Hainan Island.

I think Green Peace has given the US Navy more trouble than China has. If they want us to stop they're going to have to do a bit better than sending fishing vessels. Whoopdee-f-ing-do.

[Kaman]

Actually, we need to keep the heat on the Chinese and condict more exercises with the Japanese and Taiwan. No reason to feel we need to back down to the Chinese. They have designs on the Spratley Islands and want the oil that lies under the sea flooer nearby. The Chinese needs to know we KNOW where ALL their Naval units are, and especially know we can interdict their merchant fleet at times/places of our choosing. We need to keep their submariners aware of our presence and understand that they are a 2nd rate Navy with limited ability to counter the US Navy even it's own backyard. All my rhetoric is merely to beg the question. Do we still have the capabilty to conduct these operations, and do we have the political will to back-up this strategy by sending a clear message to the Chinese that we will protect our interest, defend our allies and citizens on the high-seas.

[Sim]

send more tourists and less boats....or tourists on a boat.

[slacker]

Our surveillance on China is really just about Wal Mart. We keep watch on the ships leaving port, so Wal Mart knows when to roll back prices. Just think if we stopped our surveillance, chaos at Wal Mart.

[matmacwc]

Our surveillance on China is really just about Wal Mart. We keep watch on the ships leaving port, so Wal Mart knows when to roll back prices. Just think if we stopped our surveillance, chaos at Wal Mart.

Or no more money for the current administration.

[Zippy]

The Chinese needs to know we KNOW where ALL their Naval units are, and especially know we can interdict their merchant fleet at times/places of our choosing. We need to keep their submariners aware of our presence and understand that they are a 2nd rate Navy with limited ability to counter the US Navy even it's own backyard. All my rhetoric is merely to beg the question. Do we still have the capabilty to conduct these operations...?

Kaman, we still have the same capabilities we did when you were an A'dub. We've probably added a few more over the years as well...