The United States and China Interactions Between the Mid-Inflationary and Pacific Regions: Five Years after the Pelosi Violations
The defense secretary of the United States decried a number of aggressive and dangerous actions by Beijing and promised that the US would stand by its allies to resist any pressure.
“The volume, the number of Chinese intercepts at sea and in the air have increased significantly over five years,” Milley said, though he offered no further details on the figure.
Tensions surrounding Taiwan have increased markedly this year. A visit to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August prompted fury from the Communist Party and an immediate flurry of military exercises.
A Pelosi trip would pose security risks, according to a suggestion by President Joe Biden. The Pentagon has declined to say if officials have directly briefed the California Democrat, but officials say worries include China establishing a no-fly zone or increasing unsafe intercepts of US and allied ships and aircraft in the Pacific region.
By launching the review, Milley is seeking to gain a detailed understanding of all interactions between the two militaries, especially any that could be deemed “unsafe” or “unprofessional” due to Chinese aircraft or ships operating too close to US military assets.
In one of the most serious recent incidents, the Australian government said in February that a Chinese warship allegedly used a laser to “illuminate” an Australian Air Force jet in what Canberra called a “serious safety incident.”
“Acts like this have the potential to endanger lives,” the Australian Defence Force said in a statement at the time, adding it strongly condemns the “unprofessional and unsafe military conduct.” Pilots targeted by laser attacks in the past have reported disorienting flashes, pain, spasms and spots in their vision and even temporary blindness.
The Second South China Sea War, and the Status of the Free, Open and Stable Region: a Key Address to the Shangri-La Dialogue
In a keynote speech to the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defense conference, Austin said that the Indo-Pacific countries shouldn’t face harassment by maritime militias.
China frequently challenges military aircraft from the U.S. and its allies, especially over the South China Sea, which China claims in its entirety. Such behavior led to a 2001 in-air collision in which a Chinese plane was lost and pilot killed.
Beijing claims the majority of the South China Sea as part of its territorial waters, even though it has militarized some of the islands.
The incursions were made by 42 J-10, J-11, J-16 and Su-30 fighter jets, two Y-8 maritime patrol aircrafts, a KJ-500 early warning aircraft, as well as a CH-4 and a WZ-7 military drone, according to the Taiwanese defense ministry.
The Chinese military conducted joint combat readiness patrol and strike drills around Taiwan in response to provocations from the United States, without giving specific details.
The Taiwanese defense ministry responded by saying that it has confidence in its sovereignty. The Chinese Communist Party’s actions show its willingness to use force to resolve differences, which undermines regional peace and stability.
On Friday, US President Joe Biden signed a sweeping new defense bill into law that included the establishment of a defense modernization program for Taiwan to deter Chinese aggression.
The cooperation of Taiwan and the US will help safeguard a free, open and stable region. The military will continue to beef up their ability to fight enemy threats and defend themselves.
In November, Biden met the Chinese leader for the first time in person while in Indonesia for the G20 summit. Afterward, Biden described the three-hour meeting as “open and candid,” and cast doubt on an imminent invasion of Taiwan.
The climate cooperation talks that were stopped in the past are expected to be revived as part of a larger set of agreements between the two countries.
First US-Japan Joint Force drills in the East China Sea: A high-energy naval bombardment on the southern island of Japan
On Friday of last week, China conducted military drills near the southern island of Japan in the Pacific Ocean according to Japanese authorities.
The Chinese navy’s Liaoning aircraft carrier, as well as two destroyers and a frigate, sailed about 560 kilometers (about 348 miles) east of Kitadaito Island, located off Okinawa’s east coast, on December 21, according to Japan’s Joint Staff. The vessels also sailed roughly 120 kilometers (74 miles) east of Okinotorishima, located further southeast, on December 22.
The defense ministry of Japan said 180 carrier-based fighter jets and choppers landed on the aircraft carrier on Friday.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense and Self-Defense Forces responded by dispatching two escort ships to collect information and carry out warning and surveillance, the ministry said.
Tensions between China and Japan have also been rising steadily, with Beijing growing its naval and air forces in areas near Japan. China also claims the Senkaku Islands, an uninhabited Japanese-controlled chain in the East China Sea.
In the face of increasing threats from China, North Korea and Russia, Japan has launched a national security plan that signals a military build-up for the first time since World War II.
A Chinese navy J-11 fighter jet came within 20 feet of the nose of a US RC-135 Rivet Joint, forcing the US plane to take evasive maneuvers.
The video shows the Chinese fighter in the sky above the US plane and then closing in on its nose, reminiscent of the Boeing 707 airliners of the 1960s and 1970s.
The vast majority of aircraft encounters between the US and China are done in a professional way, the official said. When there’s an incident like this, the US responds through diplomatic and military channels because they believe it to be unsafe.
“The U.S. Indo-Pacific Joint Force is dedicated to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and will continue to fly, sail and operate at sea and in international airspace with due regard for the safety of all vessels and aircraft under international law,” the statement said.
The U.S. and others have also accused China of harassing military aircraft and ships in the East China Sea off the Chinese coast and as far away as the Horn of Africa, where China operates a naval base.
News from the Rise of China: Why does the 135 jet appear to be in the wrong area and how do we proceed to intercept it?
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According to aviation and military experts contacted by CNN, the Chinese jet appeared to be in the wrong area and had not reason to bother the American plane.
The 135 is not a military plane. Why does the PLAN consider it necessary to intercept carrying missiles when the intent was to visually identify the aircraft? Doing this is potentially dangerous and could lead to a major and tragic incident,” Layton said.
“There was no possible gain by the fighter flying so close except to create an incident – that was handily recorded on a high quality video camera the fighter’s crew just happened to have and be using. He said that the event seems well planned by the PLAN.
Another potential danger that could lead to escalate was pointed out by Layton. As seen in the US video, the Chinese aircraft is armed with air-to-air missiles.
The US military risked blowing the incident out of proportion for saying the US jet had to take evasive maneuvers, as he described it as being very dramatic, said a person who worked for the military.
“These are no different than a driver adjusting her position to avoid a temporary lane incursion by an adjacent driver,” Hopkins said. “The US response is pure theater and needlessly creates an exaggerated sense of danger.”
When flying close to each other at 500 miles per hour, it’s generally unsafe, according to a defense policy expert.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/03/china/us-china-south-china-sea-intercept-intl-hnk-mic-ml/index.html
A United States Airborne Reactor Jet that Collited with a Chinese Aircraft During a High-Energy Collisions
It’s worth remembering that the PLA has decimated discussion forums for addressing possible incidents with the United States. If an intercept does go wrong, there are fewer options than ever for senior officers to limit potential escalation,” he said.
But in a regular press briefing on Friday, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the incident was just the latest in a string of US provocations that threaten stability in the region.
The Chinese Southern Theater Command said the US reconnaissance jet was flying “in the vicinity of China’s southern coastline and the Xisha Islands” – known in the West as the Paracels – where Beijing has built up military installations.
A Chinese fighter jet and a US plane collision in the South China Sea in 2001 caused a major crisis as the Chinese pilot was killed and the damaged US plane barely managed to land on Chinese territory. The US crew was released after 11 days of intense negotiations.