From Reuters.
U.S. says Chinese vessels harassed Navy ship
Five Chinese ships including a naval vessel harassed an unarmed U.S. Navy ocean surveillance ship in international waters in the South China Sea Sunday, the Pentagon said.
The Impeccable is one of six Navy surveillance ships that gather underwater acoustical data while operating as part of the U.S. Military Sealift Command, the Pentagon said.
The Chinese vessels surrounded the Impeccable while two closed to within 50 feet, waving Chinese flags and telling the U.S. ship to leave the area, the Defense Department said.
The Impeccable responded by spraying one of the vessels with fire hoses and later informed the Chinese ships by radio that it was leaving the area and requested a safe path to navigate, it said.
Two of the Chinese vessels stopped directly in front of the U.S. ship and dropped pieces of wood in its path.
The Pentagon described accounts of half a dozen other incidents dating back to March 4, in which the Impeccable and its sister vessel USNS Victorious were subjected to aggressive behavior, including dozens of fly-bys by Chinese Y-12 maritime surveillance aircraft.
U.S. says Chinese vessels harassed Navy ship