Chinese warships spotted off Alaska, US Coast Guard says | Alaska

Several Chinese warships were spotted off the coast of Alaska over the weekend, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

In a statement released Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard said it detected three vessels about 125 miles (200 km) north of Amchitka Pass in the Aleutian Islands, as well as another vessel about 84 miles (135 km) north of Amukta Pass, a strait between the Bering Sea and the North Pacific Ocean.

The four Chinese vessels “were transiting international waters but were still within the United States’ exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 nautical miles from the U.S. coast,” according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

“The Chinese naval presence operated in accordance with international rules and norms,” ​​said U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Megan Dean, adding, “We responded in kind to ensure there was no disruption to U.S. interests in the maritime environment around Alaska.”

Responding to a radio communication from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Chinese ships said their goal was “to conduct freedom of navigation operations.”

“The Coast Guard Cutter Kimball continued to monitor all vessels as they transited the southern Aleutian Islands into the northern Pacific Ocean. The Kimball continues to monitor activity in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone to ensure the safety of U.S. vessels and international commerce in the region,” the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Last August, the United States dispatched four warships and a reconnaissance aircraft after several Chinese and Russian military vessels conducted a joint naval patrol near Alaska.

At the time, the flotilla, which experts said appeared to be the largest to approach U.S. territory, was described as a “highly provocative” move amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine as well as political tensions between the United States and China over Taiwan.