United States Calls China’s Targeting Of Australian Planes “Aggressive And Irresponsible”

According to the US Department of Defense, China’s targeting of Australian military aircraft was “aggressive and irresponsible” and “represents one of the most serious dangers to peace and stability in the region.”

Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific, according to remarks made by the US defence department’s Ely Ratner on Thursday morning, is an effort to subvert the rules-based order and establish more control over the region.

The incident targeting Australian aircraft earlier this year, according to Ratner, assistant secretary of defence for Indo-Pacific security affairs, was “not isolated.”

He claimed that “during the past five years, the number of risky PLA [People’s Liberation Army] intercepts has substantially increased, with dozens of dangerous instances in just the first half of this year.”

“This aggressive and reckless behaviour, in my opinion, poses one of the major risks to peace and stability in the region right now, especially in the South China Sea.”

A RAAF P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft was forced into a “dangerous manoeuvre” in May by a Chinese fighter jet. According to Richard Marles, Australia’s minister of defence, the Chinese plane flew close to the Australian one before cutting across its nose and landing in front of it.

He claimed that “during the past five years, the number of risky PLA [People’s Liberation Army] intercepts has substantially increased, with dozens of dangerous instances in just the first half of this year.”

“This aggressive and reckless behaviour, in my opinion, poses one of the major risks to peace and stability in the region right now, especially in the South China Sea.”

A RAAF P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft was forced into a “dangerous manoeuvre” in May by a Chinese fighter jet. According to Richard Marles, Australia’s minister of defence, the Chinese plane flew close to the Australian one before cutting across its nose and landing in front of it.

Then, according to Marles, it ejected a bundle of chaff that contained a number of small particles of aluminium, some of which entered the P-8 aircraft’s engine.

“This is obviously highly risky.”

A naval cruiser of the People’s Liberation Army fired a military-grade laser at an Australian spy plane in February. Although there has been an increase in the usage of lasers, the Australian defence force stated at the time that this particular occurrence was “more serious.”

Ratner stated on Thursday that the US needed to “show the will and capability to appropriately deter [People’s Republic of China] aggression” because if the Chinese military persisted, it may result in a “big incident or accident.”

Building a “combat-credible forward presence” in the area and enhancing partners’ capabilities, especially in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, are part of this, he said.

He claimed that while the US will “always stand ready to prevail in conflict,” deterrence was its first priority.

We do not seek conflict or confrontation, he declared.

Ratner’s remarks reaffirm those of US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Mark Milley. He claimed that China’s actions in the Pacific were “far more hostile” now and “seem to imply that they seek to bully or control” in Sydney on Thursday.

China has become “much more, and clearly more aggressive,” according to Milley earlier this week. At a seminar in Sydney to talk about China’s rise and the stability of the region, he expanded on such remarks.

According to the Associated Press, Milley added, “It’s a huge meeting to discuss our mutual security interests and address national security matters that pertain to all of us.”

There is optimism that the mending of Australia’s relations with China will continue under the next Labor administration. Beijing, meanwhile, has harsh words for the Aukus agreement and the US, UK, and Australia’s proposal to exchange nuclear submarine technology.

Anthony Albanese, the prime minister, claimed that Australia “doesn’t listen to requests” when China recently gave Australia advice on how to strengthen ties.