By Michael Mazza
Recent flybys continue a disturbing pattern of aggression based on dangerous assumptions.
For the second time in as many weeks, Chinese fighter jets have conducted dangerous flybys over the East China Sea, approaching within 100 feet of Japanese surveillance planes. This is only the most recent in a string of dangerous incidents in the waters and skies on China’s periphery.
Last December, a Chinese warship nearly collided with the USS Cowpens, cutting off the American cruiser in international waters in the South China Sea. In recent years, Chinese ships have periodically harassed unarmed U.S. naval vessels in seas off the Chinese coastline, but this was the first incident involving two armed warships.
Earlier in 2013, Chinese ships used fire control radars to “lock on” to a Japanese destroyer and a Japanese helicopter. It is difficult to imagine a more aggressive act short of opening fire.
In all of these cases, potentially deadly accidents were avoided due to the forbearance of those on the receiving end of Chinese aggression. If not for the calmness of Japanese pilots, the experience of American captains, and the steady hands of MSDF commanders, any of these incidents could have ended very differently than it did.
Read the full story at The Diplomat