Is the Chinese Military Provoking Its Neighbours To Send A Message to The U.S.?

A photo provided by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense shows a Chinese H-6 bomber flying near a Taiwanese F-16 in February.Credit...Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, via Reuters

Steven Lee Myers, New York Times: China’s Military Provokes Its Neighbors, but the Message Is for the United States

From the Himalayas to the South China Sea, China is pressing its territorial claims aggressively, raising the possibility of additional deadly clashes.

In the same week that Chinese and Indian soldiers engaged in a deadly brawl, one of China’s submarines cruised through the waters near Japan, prompting a scramble of aircraft and ships to track its furtive movements. Chinese fighter jets and at least one bomber buzzed Taiwan’s territorial airspace almost daily.

With the world distracted by the coronavirus pandemic, China’s military has encroached upon its neighbors’ territories on several fronts throughout the spring and now into summer, flexing its military might in ways that have raised alarms across Asia and in Washington.

China’s military assertiveness reflects a growing sense of confidence and capability, but also one of confrontation, particularly with the United States over the pandemic, the fate of Hong Kong and other issues that China considers central to its sovereignty and national pride.

China claims all of its recent operations are defensive, but each increases the risk of a military clash, whether intended or not. That appears to be what happened on the night of June 15, when Chinese and Indian soldiers fought along their disputed border in the Himalayas.

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WNU Editor: I have been dealing with the Chinese for about 35 years, and when it comes to territorial disputes and military issues, I have always found them more focused on what their neighbours are doing than what the U.S. is doing.. Don't get me wrong. They know the U.S. military is there. But it is not at the priority that most Americans, including the above New York Times commentator, like to believe it is.