A Chinese warship joined forces with the U. S. and its allies to search for a missing sailor in the South China Sea, according to China’s defense ministry.
A Chinese warship joined forces with the U. S. and its allies to search for a missing sailor in the South China Sea, according to China’s defense ministry.
The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) guided-missile frigate Liuzhou is cooperating with the U. S. “in the spirit of humanitarianism, ” the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement Thursday, according to the Associated Press. The PLAN vessel, which was initially shadowing allied vessels in the area, offered assistance after the USS Stethem, a U. S. Navy guided-missile destroyer, reported a man overboard Tuesday.
After multiple searches, the sailor has not yet been found.
“I would say that this is a good example of what benefits come from increased positive interaction with the Chinese, ” a U. S. Navy official told Defense News, “The use of [the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea] , existing operational channels for communication, participation in [Rim of the Pacific Exercise] — instances such as this, search-and-rescue efforts, are where those positive interactions and familiarity pay dividends.”
While China and the U. S. have set aside their differences for an emergency, tensions remain in the disputed South China Sea.
