Chinese Nuclear Sub-Marines Up and Active Live From Qingdao-China

BEIJING -- The U.S. wants more discussions on naval safety and communications with China, following a recent confrontation between an American surveillance ship and Chinese vessels in the South China Sea, a senior U.S. navy officer said.

U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Gary Roughead, told reporters Sunday that interaction between ships of the two navies should "be professional and safe, and not jeopardize the well-being of our sailors."

The navies must "operate in accordance with international law," added Adm. Roughead, the highest-ranking U.S. military official to visit China this year.

Five Chinese vessels last month crowded around the USNS Impeccable off China's southern island province of Hainan. China says the Impeccable was violating international law by conducting surveillance activities in its exclusive economic zone. The U.S. and many other nations view such activity as legal.

Adm. Timothy Keating, the officer in charge of American forces in Asia, said at the time that the incident showed that the Chinese are "not willing to abide by acceptable standards of behavior."

Nevertheless, Adm. Roughead said the current relationship between the two navies is "one that is positive."

He said that the desire of the China People's Liberation Army Navy to acquire an aircraft carrier would mean China could project its military power much further from its coast, and that the growth of China's naval forces is "consistent with China's economic advancement and its role in a globalized world."

But he added that as China modernizes its navy "there should be clearer communications with regard to what the intentions of that capability are." (See related article, Page 16.)

Adm. Roughead added that in future dialogues with China, he hopes the two sides can discuss further cooperation on search-and-rescue missions as well as continuing joint counterpiracy efforts to stop the surge in attacks off of Somalia.

Counter-piracy is "very much on the forefront of both our minds, and it is also the first time we have operated together that far from China," Adm. Roughead said.
—Bai Lin in Shanghai contributed to this article.