US Coast Guard says Chinese warships spotted off Alaska

The American Coast Guard says it has spotted multiple Chinese military warships in the US exclusive economic zone off the coast of Alaska, in what is viewed as a prelude to subsequent rows between Washington and Beijing.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the US Coast Guard said it had detected three ships about 124 miles (200km) north of the Amchitka Pass, a strait in the Aleutian Islands, a remote archipelago that stretches 1,200 miles from the Alaska Peninsula.

The Coast Guard said it had spotted another vessel approximately 84 miles (135km) north of the Amukta Pass, a strait between the Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean.

The statement said all four Chinese vessels were “transiting in international waters but still inside the US exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 nautical miles from the US shoreline.”

The Coast Guard said that both it and the US Northern Command were “fully aware” of the Chinese ships’ progress.

“The Chinese naval presence operated in accordance with international rules and norms. We met presence with presence to ensure there were no disruptions to US interests in the maritime environment around Alaska,” said Rear Admiral Megan Dean, 17th Coast Guard District commander.

“Coast guard cutter Kimball continued to monitor all ships until they transited south of the Aleutian Islands into the north Pacific Ocean. The Kimball continues to monitor activities in the US exclusive economic zone to ensure the safety of US vessels and international commerce in the area,” he added.

The US Coast Guard stopped short of specifying how long the Chinese ships had been in the economic zone but said the Chinese vessels underlined in radio communication that their purpose was “freedom of navigation operations.”

The Coast Guard stated that foreign nations don't need to notify a country before entering its Exclusive Economic Zone, noting that, in this instance, the Chinese vessels responded when contacted via radio.

China has yet to comment publicly on the US Coast Guard's statement.

Philippines, US kick off drills in disputed waters of South China Sea

The annual military drills will be extended for the first time into waters claimed by China.

The sighting of the ships came a week after the Chinese navy began its annual joint patrol with the Russian navy in the Pacific Ocean.

The US Naval Institute said the patrol was scaled down from previous years, including last August when more than 10 ships from China and Russia formed a flotilla off Alaska.

In defiance of maritime laws and disregard for China's concerns, the US Navy has in the past held numerous joint drills with Beijing's rival claimants in the South China Sea, including the Philippines and Vietnam.

Washington has also held joint war games with Taipei, which China considers as one of its mainland provinces with no right to establish diplomatic relations with other states.

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