World View: China Naval Vessel Confronts U.S. Warship in International Waters

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• China naval vessel confronts U.S. warship in international waters
• New bombings in Mali mean France will have to stay longer

China naval vessel confronts U.S. warship in international waters

The guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CNN)

A Chinese naval vessel confronted the USS Cowpens, a guided missilewarship, in international waters on December 6, forcing theU.S. vessel to take evasive action to avoid a collision. The Chineseaction was deliberate, and was apparently taken to prevent theU.S. warship from conducting surveillance on China’s aircraft carrier,the Liaoning. The confrontation took place in the South China Sea ininternational waters. China is claiming territory in the South ChinaSea that has historically belonged to Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia,Indonesia and the Philippines, while Japan itself is facing dailymilitary confrontations with China around the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands.However, the December 6 confrontation occurred entirely ininternational waters, according to U.S. officials. CNNand Free Beacon

New bombings in Mali mean France will have to stay longer

A bomb explosion killed and wounded several United Nationspeacekeepers on Saturday in the supposedly secure town of Kidal innorthern Mali. At the same time, at least 80 Islamic radicals carriedout an attack on a Tuareg camp in Teringuite, also in northern Mali,with unknown casualties. These twin assaults are the worst innorthern Mali in recent weeks. France send 4,000 troops to Maliearlier this year, and had hoped to have them all home by now.Instead, France is going to find it difficult to leave Mali and, atthe same time, France has just sent 1,600 new troops to CentralAmerican Republic, where the violence between Christians and Muslimscontinues to spiral out of control. AP

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