US Navy ship in 'unsafe' interaction with China warship

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON

A U.S. Navy ship had an "unsafe" interaction with a Chinese warship in the South China Sea, a military official confirmed.

The official, who requested to be unnamed, said the USS Decatur had the incident with a Chinese warship Sunday while the U.S. ship navigated near the disputed Spratly Islands.

On Sunday, CNN quoted two American officials as saying the destroyer sailed near the Gaven and Johnson reefs on the islands as part of "freedom of navigation operations."

In a separate development, U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis canceled a planned visit to Beijing, according to another official who did not elaborate.

Washington and China have recently experiencing rocky relations over a series of issues, including trade tariffs.

*Kasim Ileri contributed to the story

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON

A U.S. Navy ship had an "unsafe" interaction with a Chinese warship in the South China Sea, a military official confirmed.

The official, who requested to be unnamed, said the USS Decatur had the incident with a Chinese warship Sunday while the U.S. ship navigated near the disputed Spratly Islands.

On Sunday, CNN quoted two American officials as saying the destroyer sailed near the Gaven and Johnson reefs on the islands as part of "freedom of navigation operations."

In a separate development, U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis canceled a planned visit to Beijing, according to another official who did not elaborate.

Washington and China have recently experiencing rocky relations over a series of issues, including trade tariffs.

*Kasim Ileri contributed to the story