A Chinese destroyer nearly collided with a US warship in the disputed South China Sea after making what the Americans described as an “unsafe and unprofessional” manoeuvre in an attempt to warn it to leave the area.

In a statement late on Monday, the US described the move by the Chinese destroyer as unsafe because it moved within 41 metres (45 yards) of the US warship. The Chinese vessel then moved to prevent a collision.

… Collin Koh, a research fellow at the Maritime Security Programme at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said there would be more close encounters of Chinese and US military vessels.

“However, while we may see increased contacts between the forces, the risks of them escalating out of control may not be that high, as both capitals will likely still desire to maintain stability in the area,” Koh said.

“What’s more of a concern will be zealous commanders and service people on the scene taking matters into their own hands, leading to inadvertent or accidental incidents.”