Five Chinese vessels "surrounded" the USNS Impeccable in the South China Sea and closed to within 50 feet, with Chinese crew members "waving Chinese flags and telling Impeccable to leave the area," according to a Pentagon statement.
The Impeccable and another ocean surveillance ship have been targeted five times in the past week, the Pentagon said, for "increasingly aggressive conduct" by Chinese ships and aircraft.
On Thursday, a Chinese frigate crossed the Impeccable's bow at a range of about 100 yards, the Pentagon said, and two hours later a Chinese Y-12 maritime surveillance aircraft conducted fly-bys of the U.S. ship at an altitude of 600 feet.
On Wednesday, the Pentagon said, a Chinese fisheries patrol vessel shone a high-intensity spotlight on the USNS Victorious, operating in the Yellow Sea, and the following day a Y-12 flew overhead at about 400 feet.
Source
Sounds like China is getting a little more brave. I wonder how far this will escalate.
