The Chinese side refutes it!, The United States accuses China of being "aggressive" and falsely accuses China of being "aggressive"
According to Bloomberg on the 6th, the White House claimed on the 5th that the interception actions of Chinese ships and fighter jets against the US military indicate that Beijing is becoming increasingly "aggressive" and that this may lead to accidents and cause casualties. On the 6th, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the hegemonic actions of the United States are the root cause of maritime and air security risks. Experts interviewed by the Global Times believe that the US accusing China of being "aggressive" and other false accusations is to find "legitimate reasons" for political mobilization.
Recently, the US military has frequently dispatched military planes and ships to provoke and cause trouble in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, and China has intercepted them in accordance with the law and regulations. On June 3rd, the US destroyer "Zhong Yun" and the Canadian frigate "Montreal" sailed through the Taiwan Strait, and the People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command organized sea and air forces to closely monitor the entire process. On May 26th, during routine training in the South China Sea, a US military RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft deliberately entered our training area to carry out reconnaissance and interference. The Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army of China organized air forces to track and monitor the entire process.
Canadian Global News Network exposed on the 3rd that a US ship was intercepted by a Chinese warship
However, the US has portrayed China's legitimate, reasonable, and professional response as a "dangerous action". John Kirby, Coordinator of Strategic Communications at the National Security Council of the United States, announced on the 5th that such unsafe and unprofessional interception actions can lead to misunderstandings and misjudgments. Chen Qi, director of the China US Relations Research Center at Tsinghua University, told Global Times on the 6th that the US has used a series of words such as "aggressive," "unsafe," and "unprofessional" to accuse China and continue to hype up the interception incident. The fundamental purpose is to play up the "China threat theory" and provide so-called "legitimate reasons" to mobilize allies to suppress China. In addition, since the "balloon incident", China has been handling its relations with the United States coldly, so some "anxious" Americans frequently provoke trouble, hoping to stir up the situation and let China take over.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin emphasized at a regular press conference on the 6th that in response to Kirby's statements on related issues, it was US military ships and planes that ran thousands of miles to China's doorstep to provoke and insist on conducting close reconnaissance and showing off their power near China's territorial waters and airspace. This is not to uphold "freedom of navigation", but to promote "navigation hegemony", which is a blatant military provocation. This kind of hegemonic behavior is the root cause of sea and air security risks. Wang Wenbin stated that China has always respected the navigation and overflight rights enjoyed by countries under international law, but firmly opposes using freedom of navigation and overflight as a pretext to harm China's sovereignty and security. The Chinese military carries out on-site sea and air response in accordance with the law and regulations, and the relevant measures are professional, legal, and reasonable.
According to Bloomberg, Kirby also claimed that China's actions are a statement representing their dissatisfaction with US involvement in the region. He threatened that the United States would continue to cruise and fly in this area. "The vast majority of international trade passes through the Indo Pacific region, where we have real needs and will stay." After attending the Shangri La Dialogue, US Defense Secretary Austin began his seventh Indo Pacific visit on June 1st, visiting countries including Japan, Singapore, India, and France. In an interview with Japanese media, Austin stated that he wants to cooperate with allies to ensure regional peace and stability, and also stated that he wants to jointly respond to China.
On one hand, the US unjustly accuses and deliberately smears China, while on the other hand, it seeks dialogue with China. On June 5th, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and Director General of the US Department of Foreign Affairs Yang Tao held meetings and talks with visiting Assistant Secretary of State for Asia Pacific Affairs Conda and Senior Director of China Affairs at the White House National Security Council Sarah Belan.The Chinese side has expressed a firm stance on major principled issues such as Taiwan.
Kirby stated on the 5th that the US hopes that the dialogue between China and the US can be improved. He said that the United States has made progress in arranging visits to China by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Yellen and Commerce Secretary Raymond. According to Reuters, the Chief Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department, Wadant Patel, stated that the Biden administration is seeking to maintain a predictable relationship with China. "President Biden has made it clear that we will not seek any form of new Cold War, and our competition cannot escalate into conflict."
Chen Qi analyzed that at present, there is still a tense interaction between China and the United States. Due to the lack of common understanding between the two sides on the causes, nature, and ways of handling conflicts, it is still difficult for the dialogue to be effective.
