US Navy becoming a hazard in Asian waters
The US Navy, which likes to claim its presence can help safeguard "freedom of navigation" in the South China Sea, is proving to be an increasing hindrance to ships sailing in Asian waters.
Early on Monday, the guided missile destroyer USS John S. McCain collided with an oil and chemical tanker in waters east of the Strait of Malacca, causing significant damage to the hull that resulted in flooding to nearby compartments. Four sailors were airlifted to hospital and 10 are missing, according to a statement released by the navy.
No members of the crew on the tanker were injured, but the vessel sustained damage near the bow.
The latest incident occurred just two months after the USS Fitzgerald and a Philippine container ship collided in waters off Japan, killing seven US sailors.
It may be hard for people to understand why US warships are unable to avoid other vessels since they are equipped with the world's most sophisticated radar and electronic tracking systems, and aided by crew members on constant watch.
But investigations into the cause of the USS Fitzgerald collision shed some light on the way US warships tend to sail without observing maritime traffic rules and the sloppiness of their crews. According to the Philippine container ship's captain, it signaled with flashing lights after the Fitzgerald "suddenly" appeared on a course to cross its path. Yet the US warship did not respond or take evasive action.
The US Navy concluded the collision was the result of "poor seamanship and flaws in keeping watch” on the part of the warship, which led to its captain and two other senior officers being removed from their posts and administrative actions being taken against members of the watch teams.
The investigations into the latest collision will take time to reach their conclusions, but there is no denying the fact that the increased activities by US warships in Asia-Pacific since Washington initiated its rebalancing to the region are making them a growing risk to commercial shipping; this is the third collision involving a US naval vessel in the region so far this year. And a US guided missile cruiser ran aground off the coast of Japan.
While the US Navy is becoming a dangerous obstacle in Asian waters, China has been making joint efforts with the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to draw up a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea and it has boosted navigational safety by constructing five lighthouses on its islands.
Anyone should be able to tell who is to blame for militarizing the waters and posing a threat to navigation.
美国海军威胁亚洲航行安全
美国海军喜欢标榜自己的存在能够帮助维护南海的“航行自由”。但事实证明，对于在亚洲海域航行的船只而言，美国海军越来越像是一大阻碍。
本周一（8月21日）清晨，美国海军导弹驱逐舰“约翰•麦凯恩”号在马六甲海峡东部海域与一艘石油和化学品运输船相撞，导致船体严重受损、海水瞬间淹没附近舱室。美国海军方面发布的声明称，此次撞船事故致使4名水兵入院救治，另有10名水兵失踪。
石油和化学品运输船上无人受伤，但船体前部受损严重。
这是美国海军舰船两个月内第二次发生撞船事故。6月17日，美国海军驱逐舰“菲茨杰拉德”号在日本外海与一艘菲律宾籍货船相撞，造成7名水兵丧生。
人们可能很难理解，既然美军战舰配备了世界上最先进的雷达和电子追踪系统，并且有船组人员时刻观察四周情况，为什么还是无法避开其他船只呢？
针对“菲茨杰拉德”号撞船原因的调查工作或许能够暴露出一些问题，即美军战舰在航行过程中习惯无视海上交通规则，以及舰艇人员工作懈怠。据菲律宾籍货船船长所述，“菲茨杰拉德”号“突然”出现并挡住货船的去路，他们亮灯示警后，对方没有任何回应、也没有采取规避措施。
美国海军近日得出结论称，“菲茨杰拉德”号与货船相撞，是因为船员“航海技术糟糕、执勤时出现失误”，决定撤销舰长、副舰长和1名一级军士长的职务，同时对多名官兵施以行政处分。
针对最近撞船事故的调查工作还需要一段时间才能得出结论，但无可否认的事实是，自华盛顿方面启动“亚太再平衡”战略以来，美军战舰在该海域的活动日渐增加，给同一海域的商业航运带来越来越大的风险。今年以来，美国海军已经三次在这片海域发生碰撞事故，还有一艘导弹巡洋舰在日本海岸搁浅。
在美国海军对亚洲海域的正常航行构成威胁的同时，中国一直与东南亚国家联盟成员国积极合作、共同起草“南海行为准则”。而且，中国还在南海建起5座大型灯塔，提升船舶航行安全保障能力。
任何人都能清楚地分辨出，究竟谁才是推动南海“军事化”的元凶，谁才对该海域的航行活动构成威胁。
