U.S. destroyer sails off coast of Shanghai

Tensions between the United States and China are intensifying not only in trade but also in the military. U.S. warships have unusually sailed through waters near China while both countries are engaged in a race to develop new weapons.

The South China Morning Post reported on Saturday that USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115), an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, was seen about 213 kilometers off the coast of Shanghai with a picture released by the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, a think tank at Peking University. The U.S. Pacific Fleet also said in a Twitter post, “USS Rafael Peralta sails in the East China Sea this week,” without specifying the date.

The sailing of the ship came as the People’s Liberation Army of China began live-fire drills in Bohai Bay of the Yellow Sea on Thursday, which is expected to involve aircraft carriers and will continue for two months and a half.

This is the second time a U.S. warship was seen off the coast of China in a month, following USS McCampbell (DDG-85), another U.S. Navy destroyer, spotted 42 nautical miles off the coast of Weihai in Shandong on April 17.

The United States are strengthening its military power. Earlier on Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States was developing a “super duper missile,” unveiling the flag for his Space Force. He went onto say that, “We have to do it with the adversaries we have out there, and I heard the other night it is 17 times faster than what they have right now.” His remarks appear to target China and Russia that are developing hypersonic weapons, said CNN.


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