Chinese fighter jet intercepts US spy plane
On Friday, a Chinese fighter jet intercepted a US spy plane over the South China Sea. The US is complaining that it did so in an “unnecessarily aggressive” manner. And it published a video of this intercept to prove its point.
The US wants the world to condemn China for reckless behavior. But it should be ashamed for allowing a Chinese fighter jet to bully its spy plane with impunity. Instead of complaining, the US should be retaliating.
China’s Aggressiveness: A growing concern
The US published a video of another intercept only a few months ago. It complained back then that the Chinese fighter jet used an “unsafe maneuver.” It also lamented that this intercept forced the US plane to take evasive action.
But these intercepts are tame compared with the one from 2001. It became known as the Hainan Island incident. It set a precedent for these intercepts.
The maneuver on that occasion caused a midair crash. The Chinese pilot died. But the US spy plane crew managed to land on Hainan Island – in Chinese territory. Yet China refused to apologize to the US and confiscated its spy plane.
It added insult to that injury by demanding a letter of apology from the US. Only then did China release the US crew and return the plane in disassembled pieces. But it had stripped the plane of top-secret technology and information.
So no need to wonder how China developed its airplane spying capabilities. Because it stemmed from that incident.
Of course, the US had far more power relative to China back then than it does today. Yet it complied with China’s demands. The US paid China for dismantling and shipping the plane to the US. It even reimbursed China for feeding and housing the 24 US crew members (21 men and three women).
This incident explains why China thinks it can bully the US with impunity.
Time to curb impunity: A call for action
Everyone knows the only way to deal with a bully is to stand up to them. Yet the US keeps letting China bully it. There have been similar incidents with ships in the South China Sea. Just days before this latest spy plane intercept, China blew up the US Navy’s largest warship in a simulation attack.
China does not consider this bullying or reckless. It thinks this is strategic.
And all the US is doing is begging China to stop engaging in menacing maneuvers. But that’s like Ukraine begging Russia to stop committing war crimes. Because China has no more respect for the US than Russia has for Ukraine. China even thought it could send a giant white spy balloon across America with impunity.
The only US response should be to check China’s menacing behavior. And it should ensure that a video of it doing so goes viral too. Biden should issue standing orders to deal with these menacing antics.
That should mean attacking any Chinese fighter jet or warship that engages in them. Because only making China suffer deadly consequences will curb its presumption of impunity. And you can bet that China will learn its lesson. All bullies do. You can also bet that the last thing China wants is an all-out war with the US.
But failure to stop these airborne and maritime antics will only embolden China. Then it will only be a matter before its aggressiveness forces a US response that will be tantamount to a declaration of war.
Ending the Cycle of Impunity
The US appears weak and feckless. It’s bad enough that US CEOs are betraying their corporate values for access to China’s market. But US politicians are begging China for diplomatic meetings.
US corporations should invest in China on their terms. And China should be the one begging US politicians for meetings.
It’s important to remember that China needs the US more than the other way around. The US should leverage this dynamic to its advantage – in negotiations, in investments, and in enforcing international law.
I hailed the way the Wall Street Journal advised French President Emmanuel Macron. It warned that appeasing China “weakens deterrence against Chinese aggression and undermines US support for Europe [and Taiwan].”
The US should heed its own advice. And it can begin doing so by standing up to China – in the skies, on the high seas, and in the marketplace.