Military plays down naval 'near-miss'

Situation 'properly handled'; defense authorities willing to improve effective communication

The Chinese military responded for the first time on Wednesday to the recent "near-miss" between warships from China and the United States in the South China Sea, saying the Chinese naval vessel was conducting "normal patrols" when the two vessels met, and it properly handled the situation in accordance with strict protocol.

"The two defense authorities have been kept informed of the situation via normal working channels and carried out effective communications after the encounter," the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement on its website.