Page 6 - Aruba Today

A6

U.S. NEWSFriday 30 October 2015

U.S., China officials discuss ship’s passage by China islets

LOLITA C. BALDOR In this April 8, 2008, file photo, guided missile destroyer USS Lassen arrives at the Shanghai Interna- pending port visits, senior
Associated Press tional Passenger Quay in Shanghai, China, for a scheduled port visit. leader meetings and “the
WASHINGTON (AP) — importance of maintaining
American warships will Associated Press an ongoing dialogue.” It
continue to “regularly” sail added that both admirals
within the 12-nautical mile sail within the limit of the that the sail-by should not passage issue, they agreed agreed to speak again lat-
limit of islands built by Chi- newly created islands on be seen as provocative. that they didn’t want this er this year.
na in the South China Sea, Tuesday. The Navy official said Rich- matter to sidetrack other The Chinese took no force-
a senior U.S. official said The U.S. does not recognize ardson also told Wu that naval cooperation be- ful action during the USS
Thursday, despite protests the man-made islands as the U.S. will continue to sail tween the two nations. Lassen’s sail-by on Tues-
from Beijing after the USS sovereign territory. wherever international law The officials spoke on condi- day, but on Thursday a De-
Lassen’s passage near one A senior Navy official said allows. The conversation tion of anonymity because fense Ministry spokesman
of the man-made islets this that Wu requested the call was described as calm and they weren’t authorized to said China’s military will
week. and expressed concern productive. And the Navy discuss the issue publicly. take “all necessary” mea-
The comments came in and disagreement over the official said that while Rich- A statement released by sures in response to any
the wake of a quickly-ar- Lassen’s movements, but ardson and Wu disagreed the Navy said that Rich- future U.S. Navy incursions
ranged video-conference said Richardson responded about the international ardson and Wu discussed into what Beijing considers
call Thursday between its territorial waters around
Navy Adm. John Richard- the islands.
son, chief of naval op- Earnest said that no coun-
erations, and his Chinese try, including China, should
counterpart. And they be trying to use their size or
served as a warning that influence to try to resolve
such sail-by operations competing sovereignty
would be somewhat rou- claims in the South China
tine, although it was un- Sea. He said the recent U.S.
clear how frequent they military operation was not
would be. a challenge to sovereignty
At the White House, spokes- claims.
man Josh Earnest said the “The reason the United
United States “would re- States is interested here
serve the right to carry out is that we’re not making
those kinds of operations in claims on those land fea-
the future.” tures there but we certainly
The video call between do have a financial inter-
Richardson and People’s est and a broader strate-
Liberation Army’s Navy gic interest in ensuring that
Commander Adm. Wu freedom of navigation
Shengli was set up at Chi- and the free flow of com-
na’s request, apparently merce continues unim-
triggered by the U.S. deci- peded in the South China
sion to have the guided Sea,” Earnest told a news
missile destroyer USS Lassen conference.q

U.S. icebreaker back after

pioneering North Pole trip

Rear Adm. Richard Gromlich, commander of the U.S. Coast SEATTLE (AP) — A U.S. polar vessel to make the trip un- sediment and air samples
Guard 13th District, strolls the deck of the Cutter Healy as it icebreaker has returned to accompanied. along the way.
makes its way through the Puget Sound on its way Thursday, Seattle after cutting its way Crews and scientists left The Healy is the country’s
Oct. 29, 2015, to its homeport of Seattle. to the North Pole in support Dutch Harbor, Alaska, newest high-latitude vessel
of a mission to study the on Aug. 9, and spent 65 and is capable of breaking
Associated Press health of the Arctic Ocean. days at sea. The 420-foot more than 10 feet (3 me-
The Coast Guard Cutter (128-meter) long icebreak- ters) of ice.
Healy pulled into its Seattle er traveled more than It sailed to the North Pole in
homeport Thursday, about 5,000 nautical miles and support of Geotraces, an
two months after it be- scientists aboard collected international effort to study
came the first U.S surface thousands of ice, water, the world’s oceans.q