On Wednesday, Beijing responded to U.S. concerns by demanding an end to such flights over the South China Sea. The U.S. had complained that a Chinese fighter jet had dangerously intercepted an American Air Force surveillance aircraft in international airspace. The United States’ backing for self-governing Taiwan, China’s refusal to participate in discussion between their armed forces, and Beijing’s flying of a suspected spy balloon over the United States all contribute to the escalation of military, diplomatic, and economic tensions between the two countries.
At a regular press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning assured reporters that China will continue to take whatever steps it saw necessary to protect its sovereignty. Mao has said that the United States must immediately cease its “dangerous provocations.” The United States’ Indo-Pacific Command condemned the Chinese plane’s conduct as a “unnecessarily aggressive maneuver,” adding to long-standing complaints about China’s military increasing the frequency of interceptions of American planes and ships over the past five years. Countries like the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia, all of which have coastlines on the South China Sea, directly question China’s claim that it claims practically all of the sea. The United States military issued a statement on Tuesday claiming that a Chinese J-16 fighter jet violated international airspace rules by flying directly in front of the nose of an American RC-135.
While commerce and personal exchanges have remained strong, military-to-military ties between the sides have all but vanished in recent years due to a historic drop in governmental relations. China’s military minister has stated he would not meet with U.S. defense secretary Lloyd Austin at this weekend’s security conference in Singapore, further dimming hopes for an easing of hostilities. On Saturday, Austin will speak at the Shangri-La Dialogue, and on Sunday, Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu will take the stage.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that the plane incident demonstrated the importance of continued high-level communication between the United States and China to minimize misunderstandings and conflicts. He called it “regrettable” that Austin’s request to meet with the Chinese military minister had been denied by Beijing. China has blamed the United States for the communication breakdown, but has not officially explained why. China often opposes U.S. and allied military aircraft in the South China Sea, East China Sea, and Taiwan Strait because the People’s Liberation Army has the largest standing military in the world and reports directly to the ruling Communist Party.
Such actions resulted in the loss of a Chinese fighter and the death of its pilot in a 2001 air collision with a U.S. Navy surveillance plane. America will “fly, sail, and operate — safely and responsibly — wherever international law allows,” according to a statement released by the Indo-Pacific Command on Tuesday. The statement also called on other countries to do the same.
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