A US Coast Guard patrol unexpectedly encountered Chinese warships near Alaska

During a routine patrol, U.S. Coast Guard ships observed four Chinese warships conducting military and surveillance operations close to Alaska's Aleutian Islands.
The Coast Guard reported that the ships of the People's Liberation Army Navy arrived within 46 miles of the Aleutian Islands.
The patrol included the US Coast Guard Cutters Bertholf and Kimball, both maritime security cutters of the Legend class.
The Chinese ships were in American territory's exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 miles off Alaska's coast. They avoided entering the 12 mile-off-shore US territorial waters.
Chinese ships were last spotted in the region in 2015 when they sailed through US territorial waters close to the Aleutian Islands.
During a routine patrol, U.S. Coast Guard ships observed four Chinese warships conducting military and surveillance operations close to Alaska's Aleutian Islands.
The Coast Guard reported that the ships of the People's Liberation Army Navy arrived within 46 miles of the Aleutian Islands.
The patrol included the US Coast Guard Cutters Bertholf and Kimball, both maritime security cutters of the Legend class.
The Chinese ships were in American territory's exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 miles off Alaska's coast. They avoided entering the 12 mile-off-shore US territorial waters.
Chinese ships were last spotted in the region in 2015 when they sailed across US territorial waters close to the Aleutian Islands.
We're definitely starting to annoy them a little bit with the South China Sea issue, Bouffard said. The Aleutian drill may be a display of China's capabilities in light of US operations in the South China Sea.
Bouffard continued, "I do believe they were giving a clear strategic message, but I don't think they were trying to provoke a reaction. If they abide by the guidelines, they may also access our seas.
According to Bouffard, exercises like these could become more frequent as China strengthens its blue-water naval capabilities.
While recent Arctic directives from US military divisions have acknowledged that there is a possibility of international tensions elsewhere spilling over into the Arctic, the region is normally thought to have a low danger of violence.
Even while ships frequently pass over the exclusive economic zones of other nations, they frequently announce drills in advance.