US urges China to 'open lines of communication' after jet incident
3 Min Read
US State Secretary says the air incident confirms that lines of communication between both countries must remain open.
-
A Chinese Navy J-11 fighter jet is recorded flying close to a US Air Force RC-135 aircraft over the South China Sea in a still image from video taken December 21, 2022 (Reuters)
The United States urged Beijing to agree to "open lines of communications" after a Chinese fighter jet intercepted a US aircraft in the South China Sea on May 26.
The US military said a Chinese jet conducted an "aggressive maneuver" near a US spy aircraft, while Beijing stated that the "provocation" carried out by the United States is to blame.
“The United States’ long-term and frequent sending of ships and planes to conduct close surveillance on China seriously harm China’s national sovereignty and security,” China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.
“This kind of provocative, dangerous activity is the cause of the security issues on the seas. China will continue to take all necessary steps to resolutely protect its own sovereignty and security,” Mao added.
China declined earlier this week a US request for a meeting between their defense chiefs at an annual security gathering in Singapore this weekend. This came after China said last week it was concerned about US sanctions that the country had imposed on its Defense Minister Li Shangfu years ago over his alleged role in a Chinese arms purchase from Russia.
Moa said that “the US side should … immediately correct its wrong practices, show sincerity, and create the necessary atmosphere and conditions for dialogue and communication between the two militaries.”
Blinken claimed that the US planes were "flying in international airspace on a routine mission."
"There have been a series of these actions directed not just at us but at other countries in recent months," Blinken told reporters on a visit to Sweden.
"I think it only underscores why it is so important that we have regular, open lines of communication including, by the way, between our defence ministers," he said.
"The most dangerous thing is not to communicate and, as a result, to have a misunderstanding and miscommunication," Blinken added.
"And as we said repeatedly, while we have a real competition with China, we also want to make sure that doesn't veer into conflict and the most important starting point for that are regular lines of communication."
Last week, White House Spokesperson John Kirby said the Defense Department was discussing starting talks between Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu who was appointed defense minister in March.
Austin and Li will be in Singapore for the annual Shangri-la Dialogue, which begins on Friday. The Shangri-la Dialogue is an informal gathering of defense officials and experts, and it also hosts a number of side sessions.
In the meantime, Liu Pengyu, the Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington, accused the US of "seeking to suppress China through all possible means" and putting sanctions on several entities and people.
It is worth noting that Washington recently sought to restore talks with top officials in China after relations soured in recent months, especially in light of the Chinese alleged spy balloon incident and Washington's increased militarization of countries surrounding China.
Tensions mounted again last month between the two countries after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met made a provocative visit to the US and met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, prompting China to condemn the talks and stage three days of military drills around Taiwan.
