Five Chinese Navy ships sighted in the Bering Sea off Alaska during a visit to the region by US President Barack Obama have left the area, the US Navy’s top uniformed officer said.
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert said he did not view the incident, an apparent first for China’s military, as unexpected or alarming.
“They already had one of their icebreakers up in that area, and they weren’t that far away with an exercise, and they’ve already started their return transit,” he said.
Greenert said the ships had been seen in the Bering Sea, close to some Alaskan atolls, on Wednesday, but gave no further details.
The Pentagon confirmed on Wednesday the ships had been sailing in international waters.
China’s Defence Ministry said in a statement sent on Thursday that the ships were in the Bering Sea as part of a routine drill following the completion of military exercises with Russia.
