"Testing An Alliance"

"The Chinese trawler Minjinyu 5179 rammed headfirst into two JCG ships. The crew and the captain of the Chinese boat were taken into custody. According to posts in Chinese military-related Web sites, the fishing boat's bow had been reinforced with carbon steel, something mere fishermen are unlikely to do.

Fishing boats are a traditional Chinese mode of harassment and intimidation. They were among the Chinese vessels that recently trailed and harassed the twin-hulled ocean surveillance ship Impeccable off the Chinese island of Hainan, attempting to snag the sonar array it was towing, useful in detecting Chinese submarine activity."

more