In an unprecedented move, five Chinese naval vessels have been spotted in international waters in the Bering Sea, off the coast of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.
This comes as President Obama tours Alaska to highlight climate change. Additionally it comes at a time when China is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
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The fear is that these moves are to serve as a massive show of strength of China’s growing naval power in an effort to protect its interests.
According to U.S. military officials, they are aware of the Chinese ships but have said that they are not acting in a threatening way. They declined to say exactly where the ships are or if they passed through the Bering Straight.
This month Chinese President Xi Jinpin will head to the U.S. for a state visit. This will surely be a topic of discussion.
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From NPR:
In what would reportedly be a first, five ships from China’s navy have been spotted in the Bering Sea, operating in international waters off the Alaskan coast, Pentagon officials tell The Wall Street Journal.
Are the Chinese trying to send a message to President Obama? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
