The U.S. Department of Defense has released a media collection showing the behavior of Chinese aircraft engaging in dangerous and threatening intercepts with American aircraft:
The declassified images and videos were captured during lawful U.S. air operations, during which PLA operators engaged in coercive and risky activities, including reckless maneuvers, close approaches at high speeds in the air, releasing objects and projectiles like flares, and other dangerous behavior.
“Department of Defense Releases Declassified Images, Videos of Coercive and Risky PLA Operational Behavior”. Defense.gov. Oct 17, 2023.
The Chinese aircraft have sometimes approached within 20 or 30 feet. In the below picture, from the collection released by DOD, the Chinese aircraft looks like it is flying in formation alongside the US plane:
Canadian Air Force general Iain Huddleson told the Global News that Chinese intercepts were “very aggressive, and to the degree that we we would deem it ‘unsafe and unprofessional'”:
In the video above, Global News‘s Neetu Garcha witnessed such a situation with a Chinese fighter flying right outside of her cabin window.
We have seen similar tactics used by Chinese naval ships. Recently, a Chinese ship got so close that it actually bumped into a Philippine vessel in the South China Sea.
It is helpful to highlight such day-to-day bullying behavior, and to distinguish it from the normal behavior of other countries, lest our expectations should be worn down. Such a change in norms emboldens the Chinese Communists, showing other countries that intimidation will go unremarked (and unpunished). So, while Chinese Communists talks about smoothing relations and cooperation, we should remember that their favorite tactic is bullying and intimidation and call them out for it!
