China's harassment of the civilian crewed U.S. Navy survey ship Impeccable operating in international waters approximately 70 miles south of Hainan Island was unprovoked and a flagrant violation of recognized Law of the Sea regulations. Their harassment of a survey ship operating in international waters within China's claimed Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a direct challenge to the "freedom of seas" concept.
There may have been another recent incident involving an unarmed U.S. Navy survey ship. A Chinese Communist Party newspaper recently reported on a similarly serious incident involving the unarmed USNS Bowditch survey ship in September 2008, operating in international water in the Yellow Sea area. This article cites the "Gazette of Marine Administrative Law Enforcement" published by China's State Oceanic Administration said U.S. survey ships in Chinese waters may be sunk! The article went on to describe the aggressive actions of Chinese aircraft and warships against the Bowditch. It concluded by stating that if a U.S. survey ship enters China's sea again, China will sink it! Such provocative statements cannot be ignored or go unchallenged.
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