US warns Chinese military ‘aggressiveness’ could cause casualties

“It won’t be long before somebody gets hurt,” said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.

“That’s the concern with these unsafe and unprofessional intercepts.”

The statement comes after a US destroyer was forced to slam on the brakes as a Chinese destroyer cut in front of it while travelling through the Taiwan Strait last Friday.

And just two weeks earlier, a Chinese fighter flew into the path of a US surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea, causing it to be severely buffeted by jetwash.

Among a host of similar incidents last year, a Chinese fighter dumped metallic foil “chaff” in the path of an Australian P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft – causing some to be dangerously drawn in by its engines.

According to Kirby, this is “part and parcel of an increasing level of aggressiveness” by Beijing.

Taiwanese media suggests this demonstrates a new policy adopted under Chairman Xi Jinping’s unprecedented third term of office: “brinkmanship”.

Unnamed Chinese sources reportedly say “the aim of the new strategy is to adopt a ‘dangerously close’ approach to aeronautical and naval near-encounters with the United States to force Washington and its allies to back down and avoid military conflict while strengthening nationalist sentiment within China”.

Blame game

“I sure would like to hear Beijing justify what they’re doing,” Kirby said.

“Air and maritime intercepts happen all the time. Heck, we do it. The difference is … when we feel like we need to do it, it’s done professionally.”

China’s new defence minister General Li Shangfu attempted to address the issue at an international security conference held in Singapore at the weekend.

“The best way to prevent this from happening is that military vessels and aircraft [should] not come close to our waters and airspace,” Li said.

“What does this have to do with your security? Watch your own territorial waters and airspace, then there will not be any problems.”

Washington’s response was blunt.

“It’s not going to happen,” Kirby said.

“This is just part, again, of a growing aggressiveness by the PRC that we’re dealing with, and we’re prepared to address it.”

Defence analyst Kyle Mizokami says Beijing is attempting to “slam the door shut” on the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.

“China is increasingly harassing foreign military forces to keep them out of its new spheres of influence – even if the ships and aircraft have a legal right to operate there,” he writes.

“This campaign of harassment often seems to have little regard for the safety of everyone involved.”

As well as last year’s chaff incident, Chinese military ships and facilities have repeatedly directed lasers against surveillance aircraft and opposing coast guard vessels.

In 2022, a laser struck a RAAF P-8 Poseidon operating between Australia and Indonesia.

“It seems that in nearly every place US, Australian, Canadian, Filipino and other forces encounter Chinese forces, there are negative, often dangerous encounters prompted by the Chinese forces,” says Mizokami.

“This suggests that the activities are not the actions of an overzealous few in the People’s Liberation Army, but part of a co-ordinated, low-grade attack directed by Beijing itself.”

Behind the scenes

The CIA’s director William Burns made a secret trip to Moscow in November 2021.

“They are meeting with members of the Russian government to discuss a range of issues in the bilateral relationship,” a spokesperson said at the time.

Three months later, Russia invaded Ukraine.

Director Burns made another secret trip last month. This time to Beijing.

“Director Burns travelled to Beijing where he met with Chinese counterparts and emphasised the importance of maintaining open lines of communication in intelligence channels,” a spokesman said.

Such lines of communication have only worsened since the visit, however.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said he met with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi to discuss the same issues. He added Beijing has yet to demonstrate a desire “to compartmentalise strategic stability from broader issues in the relationship”.

“That’s why we’re also ready to engage China without preconditions, helping ensure that competition is managed, and that competition does not veer into conflict,” Sullivan said. “We’ll see what China chooses to do.”

US Secretary of State Tony Blinken is yet to have his planned visit to Beijing rescheduled after it was cancelled after a Chinese balloon was detected overflying the US mainland in February.

But, on Monday, June 2, the White House announced its officials had had candid and “productive” discussions in China.

US State Department and National Security Council officials met with Chinese officials in Beijing “as part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and build on recent high-level diplomacy between the two countries”.

“The two sides exchanged views on the bilateral relationship, cross-Strait issues, channels of communication and other matters. US officials made clear that the United States would compete vigorously and stand up for US interests and values,” an official State Department readout said.

Beijing initially agreed. China’s Foreign Ministry said the two sides had “candid, constructive and productive communication on improving China-US relations” and “properly managing differences”.

But Chinese state-controlled media shortly after accused the US delegation of being motivated only by Washington’s desire to portray itself as the side seeking communication – and not Beijing.

Then, at the weekend, Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu refused to meet with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin in Singapore.

Jamie Seidel is a freelance writer | @JamieSeidel