Chinese Ships Headed Home After Bering Sea Sighting

Five Chinese Navy ships sighted in the Bering Sea off Alaska during a visit to the region by U.S. President Barack Obama have begun their "return transit," the top uniformed officer in the U.S. Navy told Reuters on Thursday.

Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jonathan Greenert said he did not view the incident, an apparent first for China's military, as unexpected or alarming.

"They already had one of their icebreakers up in that area and they weren't that far away with an exercise, and they've already started their return transit," he told Reuters in an interview.