US Coast Guard patrol spots Chinese naval ships off Alaska island

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Officials say a U.S. Coast Guard cutter on routine patrol in the Bering Sea came across several Chinese military ships in international waters but within the U.S. exclusive economic zone. The Coast Guard says its crew detected three vessels approximately 124 miles north of the Amchitka Pass in the Aleutian Islands. A short time later, a helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak spotted a fourth ship approximately 84 miles north of the Amukta Pass. A Coast Guard commander says the Chinese naval presence “operated in accordance with international rules and norms.”