Chinese Navy top officials stated that U.S. stories about Impeccable were untrue. Deputy Political Commissar of Chinese Navy, Wu Huayang, stated that Pentagon’s statements about Chinese vessels harassing USNS Impeccable were totally U.S. speculations. “There were no confrontations or conflicts between China and U.S. ships,” Wu was quoted by Global International Leader under Xinhua. Chinese Navy Deputy Chief of Staff, Zhang Deshun, stated that USNS Impeccable was in the economic zone of the Chinese continental shelf and was engaging in ocean surveillance with military purposes. The U.S. Pentagon said on March 9 that Chinese ships dangerously trailed and followed the U.S. surveillance ship and harrassed the U.S. crew on board USNS Impeccable on March 8 in the South China Sea .
Source: China News, March 10, 2009
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/news/2009/03-10/1596401.shtml