The United States will not be deterred by China's risky intercept of US aircraft in international airspace, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
"We won't be deterred by dangerous operational behavior at sea or in international airspace," Austin said on Friday.
"The People's Republic of China (PRC) continues to conduct an alarming number of risky intercepts of US and allied aircraft flying lawfully in international airspace. And we've all just clearly seen another troubling case of aggressive and unprofessional flying by the PRC."
On Tuesday, the US Indo-Pacific Command said a Chinese J-16 fighter jet performed an "'unnecessarily aggressive maneuver" while intercepting a US Air Force RC-135 aircraft over the South China Sea last week.
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"Conflict in the Taiwan Strait would be devastating," Austin said on Friday. "So we are determined to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. And so are a growing number of countries around the world."
Tensions over Taiwan significantly increased last August after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Taipei despite Beijing's warnings against such a visit.
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United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said he was deeply concerned by China’s unwillingness to engage in military crisis management, warning that talks are key to avoiding conflict.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday, Asia’s top security summit, Austin said that open lines of communication between US and Chinese defence and military leaders were essential to avoid conflict and bolster stability in the Asia-Pacific region.