A top Pentagon official warned on Tuesday that it is “only a matter of time” before a “major incident or accident” occurs in the Indo-Pacific amid China’s “aggressive and irresponsible” behavior, saying Beijing has “escalated tensions” with his neighbors. in the “at a pace unseen before” range. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ellie Ratner spoke Tuesday at an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, and discussed the “increasing” threat China poses to US national security and the security of allies and partners. “We’re seeing Beijing combine its growing military power with a greater willingness to take risks,” Ratner said, adding that the Pentagon had, in recent months, “seen a sharp increase in unsafe and unprofessional behavior” by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) — the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party — saying the activity involved US and allied forces operating in the region. “Over the past five years, the number of unsafe interceptions, including by US allies and partners operating lawfully in international airspace over the South China Sea, has increased dramatically, with dozens of dangerous incidents in the first half of this year alone,” Ratner said. he said. CHINA POSES ‘BIGEST LONG-TERM THREAT TO ECONOMIC AND NATIONAL SECURITY,’ FBI DIRECTOR Wray WARNS Ratner warned that China’s “aggressive and irresponsible behavior” represents “one of the most significant threats to peace and stability” in the region, as well as in the South China Sea. “If the PLA continues this pattern of behavior, it is only a matter of time before a major incident or accident occurs in the region,” Ratner warned, adding that the People’s Republic of China has also “escalated tensions with its neighbors at a pace unseen before.” . But Ratner emphasized that “we are not seeking confrontation or conflict.” “We say it publicly. We say it privately,” he said. “Our primary interest is to preserve the order that for decades has maintained peace in the region.” Ratner added: “And while we will always be prepared to prevail in conflict, it is the primary responsibility of the Department of Defense to prevent it, and deterrence as a cornerstone of our strategy.” Ratner said Democrats and Republicans recognize that the Pentagon “must and must prioritize the DPRK as the challenge to the United States.” His comments come on the same day that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called China out by name as a threat to stability in the Indo-Pacific region, saying the DPRK is trying to “gain regional influence”. The warnings from the Pentagon come days after Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley ordered his staff to collect information on interactions between the US and Chinese troops over the past five years. Milley’s directive comes after the US Navy sailed a destroyer near Chinese-controlled islands in the South China Sea in an operation aimed at defending “the rights, freedoms and lawful uses of the sea”. MILLEY LEADS REVIEW OF EMBA, CHINESE MILITARY CONTACTS, AS BEIJING WARNS NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT The directive also comes as top intelligence community officials warn of the threat Beijing poses to the US FBI Director Christopher Wray said earlier this month that China poses the “greatest long-term threat” to US economic and national security. The National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) also warned this month that state and local leaders risk being “manipulated” to support “hidden” agendas by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as China seeks to target officials outside the U.S. Washington to push for Beijing-friendly policies at the federal level. In April, CIA Director William Burns issued a similar warning to Wray’s — also noting that China has been a “silent partner” in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression in Ukraine. Burns, at the time, said China was “in many ways, the most profound test the CIA has ever faced,” calling China “a formidable competitor that lacks neither ambition nor ability.” In particular, regarding the Indo-Pacific, House Republicans have warned of China’s “rapid expansion and militarization” of the region, calling the moves a “significant threat” to the US and around the world. A State Department spokesman told Fox News last month that the Biden administration envisions an Indo-Pacific that is “open, connected, prosperous, resilient and secure — and we stand ready to work with every nation to achieve that.” According to the State Department, over the past year, the US has modernized alliances, strengthened partnerships and forged “innovative ties with each other to address urgent challenges, from competition with the People’s Republic of China, from climate change to the pandemic.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “These achievements form the basis of the administration’s Indo-Pacific strategy,” the spokesman said, adding that the strategy “outlines President Biden’s vision to anchor the United States more firmly in the Indo-Pacific and strengthen the region in procedure”. FILE – A man waves the Chinese national flag as an amateur choir performs in a park in a residential neighborhood in Beijing, China, February 28, 2017. (REUTERS/Thomas Peter) “We, along with allies and partners, including those in the region, have made clear our concerns about China’s shadowy, undefined deals with little regional consultation,” the State Department spokesman said, warning that “as its involvement DRC in the region has increased, we have seen a range of increasingly problematic behaviour.’ The official said the conduct included his allegation of “illegal maritime claims and the continued militarization of disputed features in the South China Sea, predatory economic activities including illegal, unregulated and unregulated (IUU) fishing, investments that undermine good governance and promote corruption. and human rights violations”. LIz Friden of Fox News contributed to this report. Brooke Singman is a political reporter for Fox News Digital. She can be reached at [email protected] or @BrookeSingman on Twitter.
