A Chinese warship recently sailed dangerously close to an American destroyer in the Taiwan Strait, in a provocative and unprofessional move. The incident was captured on video by Global News and has heightened tensions between China and the United States. Retired Vice Admiral Mark Norman, former Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, analyzed the incident and explained that the Chinese ship was traveling at a significant speed and crossed directly in front of the American destroyer, violating nautical rules of the road. Norman stated that this type of behavior is a recurring issue with China and is similar to tactics used by Russia during the Cold War.
The incident has raised concerns about China's claims to the Taiwan Strait as its territorial waters, which is disputed by the international community. The US and its allies, including Canada, have been conducting freedom of navigation exercises in the area to demonstrate their right to transit through the waters.
In related news, the Canadian government has been facing pressure to launch a public inquiry into foreign interference in the country's elections. The NDP has been pushing for a public inquiry and has passed a non-binding motion in the House of Commons calling for David Johnston, the special rapporteur on foreign interference, to resign. The NDP leader, Jagmeet Singh, and MP Jenny Kwan have been vocal about the need for a public inquiry to protect Canada's democracy and ensure the integrity of its elections.
Kwan, who has been personally targeted by the Chinese government, has expressed her concerns about the impact of foreign interference on Canadian democracy and the need for the government to take action to address the issue. The NDP is calling for a public inquiry to be launched and for the government to take steps to protect Canada's democracy from foreign interference.
Fact 1: A Chinese Navy ship aggressively cut off an American warship in the Taiwan Strait, coming dangerously close .
Fact 2: The incident was captured by Global News aboard the Canadian warship HMCS Montreal, which was sailing behind the American ship as part of a joint mission in the South China Sea .
Fact 3: The Chinese warship was traveling at a significant speed, estimated to be over 20 knots, making it dangerously close to the American destroyer .
Fact 4: The Chinese warship was sailing from left to right, crossing in front of the American ship, which is against the rule of the road for vessels at sea .
Fact 5: The incident occurred because of a policy that no Allied ships are allowed to sail alone through the Strait of Taiwan due to concerns of Chinese aggression .
Fact 6: The purpose of these sailings is to demonstrate the freedom of navigation and the fact that under international law, naval vessels are able to transit through waters if they are going from point A to point B .
Fact 7: The Canadian government has been struggling with capacity issues related to both the crewing and the material condition of the existing fleet, which is why building new ships is important .
Fact 8: The opposition MPs passed an NDP motion calling for David Johnston to resign and for a full public inquiry into foreign interference .
Fact 9: The NDP leader, Jagmeet Singh, and MP Jenny Kwan, have been targeted by the Chinese Communist party for standing up for human rights .
Fact 10: The NDP chose not to make the motion a binding one, which means it's symbolic and cannot force David Johnston to resign .