Washington, December 14 1994. According to the Voice of America U.S. officials have revealed that a Chinese submarine and an American aircraft carrier had a running three-day confrontation in the Yellow Sea in late October. The disclosure comes as the two sides try to improve relations, including the ties between their armed forces. The incident took place less than two weeks after defense secretary William Perry visited China in an effort to build stronger contacts between the Pentagon and the Chinese army. Officials say the USS "kitty hawk" and its escort ships were in international waters between the Chinese coast and the Korean peninsula when the sub was detected. Though no shots were fired, the officials say the vessels tracked and followed each other for three days. The carrier launched its anti-submarine warfare planes, as is routine in such cases and at one point, Chinese jet fighters reportedly appeared nearby. Afterward, the Chinese warned a US officer in Beijing their forces would shoot in any fut

ure encounter. However, an official in washington downplays the seriousness of the statement, saying the message was never conveyed through formal diplomatic exchanges. State department spokesman Mike Mccurry says the incident at sea should not jeopardize the overall US-China relationship. (EuroTibet News N·9)