U.S. releases footage of intercepts by Chinese aircraft

The Pentagon has released footage of some of the more than 180 intercepts of US warplanes by Chinese aircraft that have occurred in the last two years. This number is more than the total amount over the previous decade and is part of a trend that US military officials have called concerning.

Risky and aggressive flights

The photos and video were released in advance of a soon-to-be issued annual report by the Pentagon on China's military power and the security threats it may pose to partners in the Indo-Pacific. The Pentagon has tried for years to posture itself to be ready for a potential conflict with China over Taiwan, even as it now finds itself supporting allies in two hot wars, Ukraine in Europe and Israel in the Middle East.

Admiral John Acquilino, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said at a Pentagon press briefing Tuesday that despite the US surging carrier strike groups and amphibious ships to support Israel, and now almost 20 months of war in Ukraine, "I haven’t had one piece of equipment or force structure depart his command, referring to ships, aircraft, and military units.

Taking steps to strengthen commitment

"We have been taking a number of steps to strengthen our commitment to the region, strengthen our deterrence in the region, and we will continue to do that, he said. The officials said the Chinese flights were risky and aggressive in nature but stopped short of calling most of them unsafe — a specific term that is used only in the most egregious cases. Still, the officials said it was important to release the footage and call out the behavior because they said it was part of a larger trend of regional intimidation by China that could accidentally lead to conflict.

Coercive intent of China

"All of these examples we’ve released today underscore the coercive intent of China by engaging in behaviors, particularly in international airspace,” said Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs. "The bottom line is that in many cases, this type of operational behavior can cause active and dangerous accidents and can lead inadvertently to conflict, Ratner said.

The release of this footage comes at a time of heightened tensions between the United States and China. The two countries have been at odds over a number of issues, including trade, Taiwan, and human rights. The release of this footage is likely to further escalate tensions between the two countries.