U.S. Navy is seeing extra ‘unsafe’ aerial intercepts by China, says Seventh Fleet commander

SINGAPORE — The commander of the U.S. Seventh Fleet mentioned on Tuesday that he is seen a rise in “unsafe” aerial intercepts by the Chinese language navy within the South China Sea area.

As not too long ago as Might, a Chinese language fighter plane allegedly intercepted a Royal Australian Air Power P-Eight maritime surveillance aircraft within the South China Sea area in a fashion that Australia’s protection division mentioned was “harmful” to its plane and crew. The division mentioned the Chinese language plane fired chaff that was sucked into the Australian aircraft’s engine.

“This reported enhance within the air is clearly regarding… it is not a really forgiving setting if one thing goes flawed if you’re flying within the air,” Karl Thomas mentioned.

The Chinese language embassy in Singapore didn’t instantly reply to CNBC’s request for remark.

Thomas mentioned in a press briefing in Singapore that retaining sea lanes open is the “before everything” mission of the U.S. Navy.

“Sea lanes are the lifeblood of our economies … having open sea lanes and having transport that may function … is extraordinarily necessary to maintain the financial system working,” the vice admiral mentioned.

About 80% of world commerce quantity was carried by sea in 2021, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on Commerce and Growth.

The South China Sea holds a number of the world’s busiest industrial transport lanes. China claims sovereignty over virtually the entire physique of water, although different international locations together with the US don’t acknowledge that declare and it hasn’t held up in a court docket of worldwide arbitration.

Thomas was cautious to notice that harmful aerial intercepts stay uncommon.

“We’re not seeing it occur very regularly. It isn’t like day-after-day, one thing’s occurring. It is an rare motion,” he mentioned. “And then you definately begin asking your self — is it as a result of it is an unprofessional pilot? Or is it one thing that is extra broad than that?”

The commander defended so-called “freedom of navigation” operations by the US and different international locations as a part of a rules-based order in accordance with the United Nations Conference on the Regulation of the Sea.

He maintained that China’s claims over the South China Sea have to be “challenged.”

“If you happen to do not problem it, the issue is that it will turn into the norm … Individuals simply settle for it. After which unexpectedly, folks could make claims like your entire South China Sea is their territorial sea.”