On two westpacs between 1972-76 the ship I was stationed on made that transit several times without the chinese rattling their sword.
I wonder what caused the change./s
The tin can I was on did the Strait patrol in ‘69, 70 and ‘71. The Chicoms didn’t rattle swords but you could tell they were always pissed off to see any of us there. Of course the liberty that followed in Taiwan was pretty wonderful.