CHINA-USA: SUB RISKED SHOOTOUT, I WONDER HOW, SINCE THE KITTY HAWK HAD NO CLUE THE SUB WAS THERE

Admiral says sub risked a shootout
By Bill GertzTHE WASHINGTON TIMESNovember 15, 2006

The Navy's top commander in the Pacific said yesterday that a Chinese submarine risked setting off a military confrontation by closely shadowing a U.S. aircraft carrier sailing near Japan.

"It illustrates the primary reason why we are trying to push to have better military-to-military relationships" with China, said Adm. William J. Fallon, in his first public comments on the U.S.-China naval encounter disclosed Monday by The Washington Times.

China's government, meanwhile, said it was unaware of the incident.

"I have not heard of such a report," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said, when asked about The Times report. China's defense policy is "based on self-defense," she said.

A Song-class Chinese submarine equipped with wake-homing torpedos and anti-ship cruise missiles surfaced within five miles of the USS Kitty Hawk in waters near Okinawa on Oct. 26 in what U.S. defense officials said was a provocative act.

Defense officials believe the Chinese submarine was practicing for tracking and targeting carriers.

Pentagon officials said the matter likely will be raised during defense-policy coordination talks with Chinese military officials set to begin Dec. 7 in Washington.

"Maritime safety is on the agenda," a spokesman said.

A Pentagon spokesman said yesterday he was not aware than any protest had been lodged with the Chinese over the incident in the East China Sea near Okinawa.

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Original post at my blog can be found here with a link to the origianl story by Bill Gertz:

China sub stalked U.S. fleet
By Bill Gertz

Pertinent Links:

1) China sub stalked U.S. fleet