Pentagon reaction to row 'inappropriate'

Naval officers of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) yesterday criticized the Pentagon for what they described as an "inappropriate reaction" after a confrontation between a US spy ship and five Chinese vessels in the South China Sea on Sunday.

They were responding to a media report that the US Navy on Wednesday assigned one of the world's most advanced destroyers to the area to escort the USNS Impeccable, which continues to be in the vicinity.

The Virginian-Pilot report quoted a US defense official as saying that the destroyer Chung-Hoon "is going to keep a close eye on the Impeccable".