Vessels from a joint fleet between Russia and China were chased by four American destroyers and P-8 Poseidon aircraft off the coast of Alaska on Sunday (6). Eleven ships from the Russian and Chinese navies approached the Aleutian Islands but never entered US territory, according to US officials.
In an official statement, a spokesman for the US Northern Command confirmed that the Russian and Chinese vessels carried out the patrol, but gave no further details about the event. “Air and maritime assets under our command conducted operations to secure the defense of the United States and Canada. The patrol remained in international waters and was not considered a threat,” the statement said.
For the spokesman of the Chinese Embassy in the United States, Liu Pengyu, the patrol action was not directed at third parties and has no connection with the current international and regional situation. “According to the annual cooperation plan between the Chinese and Russian militaries, the two countries’ naval vessels have recently conducted joint maritime patrols in relevant waters in the western and northern Pacific Ocean,” the emissary said.
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