The United States’ most senior general has ordered a comprehensive review of American military interactions with Chinese forces over the past five years as concerns about Beijing’s assertive behavior in the Indo-Pacific region mount, according to three defense officials. .
In ordering the review, Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley seeks to gain a detailed understanding of all interactions between the two Armed Forces, especially those that may be deemed “unsafe” or “unprofessional” due to aircraft. or Chinese ships operating too close to US military assets.
US officials told the CNN that the aim is to have a solid view of any changes in China’s patterns of military activity.
“China has been on an economic and military rise for more than a decade. They became bolder in the Pacific,” Milley said in a statement to CNN .
“Maintaining open lines of communication and managing competition will reduce strategic risk. The focus of the US military is on modernization and readiness. Our network of partners and allies is a source of strength,” added the general.
The interactions between the two military forces are so sensitive that incidents are often not publicized. For example, in June, a US C-130 transport plane operated by special forces had some sort of encounter with Chinese aircraft, but the Pentagon has not publicly acknowledged the incident.
Milley called for an initial internal review ahead of his July 7 conference call with his Chinese counterpart, General Li Zuocheng.
“General Milley discussed the need to responsibly manage competition and maintain open lines of communication. The general underscored the importance of the People’s Liberation Army engaging in substantive dialogue to improve crisis communications and reduce strategic risk,” said a statement from Milley’s office issued after the call.
The review is expected to continue to reflect the general’s intense focus on ensuring the US has a thorough understanding of Chinese military capabilities and intentions.
Fighting China is a key US strategic priority. Last month, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin criticized Beijing for a series of aggressive and dangerous actions that threaten stability in Asia and promised that Americans would support their partners to resist any pressure.
“Indo-Pacific countries must not face political intimidation, economic coercion or harassment by maritime militias,” Austin said in a speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defense conference.
“The PRC (People’s Republic of China) measures threaten to undermine security, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” the secretary added.
Austin listed a number of areas where he said China was putting pressure on its neighbors, including sending large numbers of warplanes into the skies over Taiwan, intercepting US allied patrol planes and conducting illegal fishing that “plunder the region’s provisions”.
In March, Admiral Philip Davidson, then head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, described China as “the biggest long-term strategic security threat in the 21st century”.
China is convinced that its military is defensive.
“China’s national defense development aims to meet its legitimate security needs and contribute to the growth of the world’s peaceful forces,” states the country’s main defense document, updated in 2019. “China will never threaten any other country or will seek any sphere of influence.”
The US, for its part, appears to be stepping up its operations in the South China Sea. Last week, a US Navy warship, the USS Benfold, challenged Chinese claims over disputed islands in the region, the US 7th Fleet said in a statement.
The US Navy’s operation near the Paracel Islands where China built military fortifications on artificial islands defied “restrictions on innocent passage imposed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Vietnam and Taiwan,” the statement said.
Source: CNN Brasil
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