Latest US Navy collision with cargo ship prompts safety concerns

Beijing voiced concerns on Monday about "threats or hidden risks" to navigation safety in the South China Sea and related waters after a US Navy guided missile destroyer collided with a merchant vessel near Singapore.

The collision of USS John S. McCain and the oil tanker Alnic MC took place in waters east of the Straits of Malacca early Monday and left 10 crew members of the destroyer missing and another five injured, Xinhua reported.

Experts noted this is the second US warship collision in two months and the US Freedom of Navigation Program - involving intrusions into China's territorial waters in the South China Sea have given rise to safety issues.