Source:
Associated PressBEIJING (AP) — China has no plans to beef up its naval presence in the South China Sea following a confrontation earlier this month between Chinese boats and a U.S. Navy ship, an official newspaper reported Friday.
The brief comment in the China Daily adds to apparent efforts by Beijing to tamp down the controversy surrounding the March 7 incident in which the USNS Impeccable was surrounded and harassed by Chinese boats.
"Top commanders do not have plans to increase the military presence in the South China Sea following a confrontation earlier this month between a U.S. spy ship and five Chinese vessels," the paper said, citing unidentified naval sources.
The report gave no additional information, although it quoted government-backed Chinese academics as saying Beijing wanted to put the incident to rest.
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