Update | Carrier commander spoke to US ship captain after near collision

The captain of aircraft carrier Liaoning had a brief, "professional" conversation with the commanding officer of the USS Cowpens after the near collision earlier this month between the American warship and a Chinese vessel.

The radio discussion between the two captains was one of several new details about the December 5 incident reported yesterday by the Global Times, a tabloid newspaper affiliated with the People's Daily.

The paper, citing an unidentified person, said that the Liaoning's commanding officer, Zhang Zheng, spoke directly to the Cowpens captain after the US missile cruiser was forced to stop in the South China Sea to avoid a collision with a Chinese ship from the Liaoning squadron.

The person told the paper that the American ship was bound to get a warning, since the Chinese Maritime Safety Administration had declared a month-long entry ban on the area on December 3 to accommodate exercises by the carrier group.

The US government has filed a formal protest over the incident, saying that the Cowpens was in international waters.

Two amphibious Chinese ships from the Liaoning squadron were sent to investigate after the US ship entered the drill area. One sounded a warning whistle, but it was ignored, the newspaper said.

The Chinese ships then sailed into the Cowpens' path to stop it, forcing the US captain to order a complete stop to avoid collision.