US accuses China’s fighter jets of ‘dangerous’ manoeuvres against its military aircraft
The US has accused China of conducting hundreds of “coercive and risky” air force manoeuvres against US military planes – and those of its allies – in international airspace in the Indo-Pacific.
The Pentagon said there had been 180 incidents since autumn 2021 against US military planes and it increased to 300 when the incidents included aerial intercepts near aircraft flown by allies.
An intercept of a US warplane by Chinese aircraft above the Pacific Ocean on 29 April, 2022. Pic: Department of Defense via AP
Releasing photographs and videos of some recent incidents, The Pentagon said the Chinese flights over the East and South China Sea regions were risky and aggressive in nature, but stopped short of calling them unsafe – a standard military term when interactions are actually dangerous.
However, officials warned the “reckless manoeuvres” by Chinese aircraft – which included “close approaches at high speeds in the air, releasing objects and projectiles like flares, and other dangerous behaviour” – could cause “active accidents” and lead to an inadvertent conflict.
They said the Chinese flights aimed to “intimidate” the US and its allies.
A US warplane is shadowed by Chinese aircraft above the Pacific Ocean on 24 May, 2022. Pic: Department of Defense via AP
In one instance, a Chinese fighter plane “approached our asset at a speed of hundreds of miles per hour, clearly armed and closing to just 30 feet away”, and stayed there for more than 15 minutes, said Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defence for Indo-Pacific security affairs.
“All of these examples we’ve released underscore the coercive intent of (China) by engaging in behaviours, particularly in international airspace,” he said.
“The bottom line is that in many cases, this type of operational behaviour can cause active and dangerous accidents.”
Another intercept of a US aircraft by a Chinese fighter jet in the Indo-Pacific region on 23 June, 2022. Pic: Department of Defense via AP
The claims come at a time US-China relations are at their lowest point in years.
Tensions exist over a range of issues including Taiwan, trade, China’s human rights record and its military activity in the South China Sea.
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 Ukraine and Israel.
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Admiral John Acquilino, head of US Indo-Pacific Command, told reporters on Tuesday that despite the US sending carrier strike groups and amphibious ships to support Israel and almost 20 months of war in Ukraine, the command has what it needs to deter China.
“I haven’t had one piece of equipment or force structure depart,” he said, referring to ships, aircraft and military units.
“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.”
Intercepts are when a plane from another military moves up close to an aircraft.
An intercept of a US plane by Chinese aircraft above the Pacific on 11 January, 2023. Pic: Department of Defense via AP
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The US warning on Tuesday came as Canada separately accused Beijing’s fighter jets of a “reckless” intercept of a Canadian maritime patrol aircraft in international waters off the coast of China.
Chinese planes shadowed and came within five metres of the Lockheed CP-140 Aurora aircraft, which Canadian defence minister Bill Blair described as unacceptable, dangerous and reckless.
The Canadian surveillance plane was on a mission to enforce UN sanctions against North Korea.
Beijing hit back, accusing the plane of “illegally” intruding into the airspace of Chiwei Yu, an island affiliated to China’s Diaoyu Islands.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has been linked to a second group chat about sensitive military operations, which he reportedly shared with his wife, brother and personal lawyer.
The messages sent via the Signal messaging app are again understood to have contained details of an attack on Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis in March.
The second chat group, initially reported by The New York Times, included about a dozen people. It revealed details of the schedule of the airstrikes, according to the Reuters news agency.
Two sources with knowledge of the matter told Sky News’ US partner network NBC News there were 13 people in the second chat group, and Mr Hegseth divulged the information despite an aide warning him about using an unsecure communications system.
Mr Hegseth’s wife, Jennifer, a former Fox News producer, has attended sensitive meetings with foreign military counterparts, while his brother was hired at the Pentagon as a Department of Homeland Security liaison and senior adviser.
Military details from the first chat group were revealed by a journalist from The Atlantic magazine who was accidentally added to the Signal app by national security adviser Mike Waltz.
Mr Hegseth then shared sensitive information with cabinet officials about last month’s airstrike on targets in Yemen, which was later leaked.
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Mike Waltz (left) and Pete Hegseth (right) have used Signal to discuss sensitive government matters. Pic: AP
‘A non-story,’ says White House
But the White House has consistently defended Mr Hegseth.
Donald Trump dismissed the original leak as “something that can happen”.
Responding to the latest chat group, White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said: “No matter how many times the legacy media tries to resurrect the same non-story, they can’t change the fact that no classified information was shared.
“Recently-fired ‘leakers’ are continuing to misrepresent the truth to soothe their shattered egos and undermine the President’s agenda, but the administration will continue to hold them accountable.”
The “leakers” referred to in the White House statement are four senior officials who were ousted from the Pentagon last week as part of an internal leak investigation.
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‘Hegseth put lives at risk’
The New York Times reported that the second chat – named “Defence | Team Huddle” – was created on Mr Hegseth’s private phone.
It detailed the same warplane launch times as the first chat.
Several former and current officials have said sharing those operational details before a strike would have certainly been classified, and their release could have put pilots in danger.
Democratic politicians have repeatedly called for Mr Hegseth to step down.
“We keep learning how Pete Hegseth put lives at risk,” Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said in a post on X.
“But [Donald] Trump is still too weak to fire him. Pete Hegseth must be fired.”
The latest claims about Mr Hegseth emerged as Yemen’s Houthi rebels reported another wave of US airstrikes on Sunday, including on the capital Sanaa.
The Houthis said at least 12 people had been killed, with 30 more injured.
The US says its bombing campaign is in response to Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes.
DHL Express is suspending some shipments to the US as Donald Trump’s new tariff regime takes effect.
From 21 April, shipments worth more than $800 (£603) to US consumers from “any origin” will be temporarily suspended.
New rules that came into effect at the start of April made such shipments subject to increased customs checks.
“This change has caused a surge in formal customs clearances, which we are handling around the clock,” said the parcel delivery service.
Shipments going from business to business worth more than $800 aren’t affected by the suspension, but DHL warned they may also face delays.
Shipments under $800 to either businesses or consumers are not impacted, but one British cycle manufacturer suggested its US customers may need to split orders over $800 into “smaller shipments” to avoid the red tape.
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From May, shipments from China and Hong Kong that are worth less than $800 “will be subject to all applicable duties”, according to the White House.
“President Trump is targeting deceptive shipping practices by Chinese-based shippers, many of whom hide illicit substances, including synthetic opioids, in low-value packages,” it said in a statement.
Until now, deliveries worth less than $800 didn’t incur any duties, which allowed low-cost companies Chinese like Shein and Temu to make inroads in the US.
Both have warned their prices will now rise because of the rule changes, starting on 25 April.
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