US: "Chinese Fighter Jets' Deliberate Provocation
Spraying Metal Foil in Airspace and Close Flying"
Military Relations Show Ongoing US-China Tensions
The United States has issued a warning that the number of military threats carried out by Chinese fighter jets in the South China Sea has surged over the past two years. It claims that China, under government-led initiatives, has deliberately engaged in threats to intimidate the United States' allies.
On the 17th (local time), Ely Ratner, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, stated at a Department of Defense briefing, "Since September 2021, aircraft of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) have conducted 300 threatening actions against U.S. and allied aircraft."
Deputy Assistant Secretary Ratner asserted that the PLA carried out about 180 threatening flights against U.S. aircraft and approximately 100 against allied or partner nation aircraft. He emphasized that this number exceeds the threatening actions China has conducted in the region over the past decade.
PLA fighter jets provoked by releasing metal foil such as aluminum, which can adversely affect aircraft engines, into the air during flight or by flying in close proximity to U.S. aircraft. Ratner highlighted an incident where a Chinese military fighter jet flew provocatively for 15 minutes at a distance of only 15 feet (4.5 meters) from a U.S. aircraft.
Ratner criticized, "The number of Chinese aircraft engaging in coercive and dangerous behavior has sharply increased over two years," adding, "China is jointly threatening at the government level to pressure the United States' legitimate operational activities and cooperation among allies and partners."
The Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., represented by Ambassador Liu Fengyu, strongly refuted the U.S. government's claims as false. Ambassador Liu stated, "U.S. ships and aircraft alone conducted 657 sorties in the South China Sea last year and have carried out close reconnaissance against Chinese ships and aircraft," urging restraint from provocative actions that damage China's national security and regional peace.
Major international media explained that this case indicates that military tensions between the two countries have reached a peak. Since the U.S. shot down a Chinese reconnaissance balloon last year, the rift in bilateral relations deepened, but recently signs of improvement have appeared. Starting with U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken's visit to China in June, high-level visits have continued, creating an atmosphere for a summit between the two leaders.
However, military relations remain unresolved. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Commander John Aquilino stated, "We have continuously requested talks with the Chinese Ministry of Defense, but they have not responded." Previously, China closed all military communication channels with the U.S. in August last year in protest of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.
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