US Warship Clashes With Chinese Aircraft Carrier Near Taiwan

By Donald Standeford, Correspondent
Date Published: 2021-04-29 6:19PM UTC
Last Modified: 2021-05-03 11:22PM PST

TAIWAN - As China conducted what they describe as 'normal' military training exercises near Taiwan, United States Mustin, a Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer was carrying out 'close up reconnaissance' on the Chinese carrier strike group, interfering with their exercises and causing the Chinese carrier group to warn away what they call the "stalker" destroyer.

While China calls this a 'close up provocation' that could end up in 'misjudgments and accidents' and admonishes the US for carrying out such 'dangerous' activities by interfering with their military operations, one must also ask why China are carrying out such exercises so close to Taiwan, which also could be seen as a provocation on its own.

China however continues to see Taiwan as Chinese territory, and sees no issue with their having a military presence in such a close proximity to the country of Taiwan.

This, just weeks after the USS Mustin was seen 'stalking' the Liaoning on April 11th, and taking a photograph of Commander Robert J. Briggs and his deputy Commander Richard D. Slye sitting back and observing the Liaoning from about a mile away in relaxed form.

Lu Li-shih, former instructor at Taiwan's Naval Academy stated that the photograph taken by the USS Mustin shows a form of 'cognitive warfare' so that China knows that the United States 'does not regard the PLA as an immediate threat'.

After the photo was taken, the USS Mustin has been shadowing the Liaoning carrier group as it carries out its military activities around Taiwan as if to let China know, "we're watching you!".