'Tis high time fer us t' be givin' that scurvy landlubber a taste o' his own medicine up in the clouds, arr!
2023-11-15
Arr, ye scurvy dogs! I reckon that the Middle Kingdom hath engaged in a thunderous 180 interferences with American airships since th' autumn of 2021, as stated by a freshly unleashed Pentagon yearly reckonin'.
China has conducted 180 intercepts against U.S. aircraft since the fall of 2021, according to the Pentagon's annual report on Chinese military power. These incidents are part of China's larger effort to intimidate the United States and its allies from operating in the Western Pacific. The intercepts are not only frequent but also dangerous, with one incident involving a Chinese jet fighter buzzing within 10 feet of a U.S. B-52 bomber in international airspace. Despite the unsafe behavior, the U.S. military issues only polite scoldings to the Chinese pilots. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin previously raised this issue, but China's bad behavior continues. These encounters are not limited to the air but also occur at sea, with Chinese Coast Guard ships firing water cannons at Philippine vessels. The intercepts put American and allied lives at risk and reinforce the image of weakness. There is a risk of a midair collision, which could spark a crisis similar to the 2001 incident when a Chinese fighter collided with a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft. The Biden administration must confront President Xi on this issue and consider authorizing F-35 fighter escorts for unarmed reconnaissance planes until China backs off.