• Most senior US general has ordered review of US military interactions with Chinese forces.
• Concerns about Beijing’s assertive behavior in the Indo-Pacific region grow.
• Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley hopes to gain comprehensive understanding of all interactions between the two militaries.
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The most senior US general has ordered a comprehensive review of US military interactions with Chinese forces over the last five years as concerns about Beijing’s assertive behavior in the Indo-Pacific region grow, according to three defense officials.

By initiating the review, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley hopes to gain a comprehensive understanding of all interactions between the two militaries, particularly those that could be deemed “unsafe” or “unprofessional” due to Chinese aircraft or ships operating too close to US military assets. According to officials, the goal is to take a close look at any changes in Chinese military activity patterns.

“China has been on the rise, economically and militarily, for more than a decade. They’ve become more bold in the Pacific,” Milley said in a written statement. “Maintaining open lines of communication and managing competition will reduce strategic risk. The US military’s focus is on modernization and readiness. Our network of partners and allies is a source of strength.”

Interactions between the two militaries are so sensitive, that incidents are rarely made public. For example, a US C-130 transport plane operated by US special forces collided with a Chinese aircraft in June, but the Pentagon has not publicly acknowledged the incident.

Milley requested an initial internal staff review prior to his video teleconference call with his Chinese counterpart, Gen. Li Zuocheng, on July 7. “Gen. Milley spoke about the importance of managing competition responsibly and keeping lines of communication open. Gen. Milley emphasized the importance of the People’s Liberation Army engaging in substantive dialogue on crisis communications and strategic risk reduction “Milley’s office issued a statement shortly after the phone call.

Milley’s intense focus on ensuring the US has a complete understanding of China’s military capabilities and intentions is expected to continue in the review.

Countering China is a key strategic priority for the United States, and last month US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin condemned Beijing for a series of coercive, aggressive, and dangerous actions that threaten Asia’s stability, and vowed that the US would stand by partners to resist any pressure.

“Indo-Pacific countries shouldn’t face political intimidation, economic coercion, or harassment by maritime militias,” Austin made the remarks during his keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defence conference.

“The PRC’s moves threaten to undermine security, and stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” Austin said,

He listed a number of areas where he believes China is imposing itself on its neighbours, including sending large numbers of warplanes into the skies near Taiwan, dangerously intercepting US allies’ patrol planes, and illegal fishing operations that “plunder the region’s provisions.”

Adm. Philip Davidson, then-head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, described China as “the greatest long-term strategic threat to security in the twenty-first century” in March.

“I’m worried that they’re accelerating their ambitions … to supplant the United States and our leadership role in the rules-based international order, which they’ve long said that they want to do that by 2050. I’m worried about them moving that target closer,” Davidson said in a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

China is adamant its military is defensive.

“The development of China’s national defense aims to meet its rightful security needs and contribute to the growth of the world’s peaceful forces,” the country’s 2019 defense white paper said. “China will never threaten any other country or seek any sphere of influence.”

The United States, for its part, appears to be increasing its operations in the South China Sea. The USS Benfold, a US Navy warship, challenged Chinese claims to disputed islands in the South China Sea on Saturday, the US 7th Fleet said in a statement, the second operation in as many days.

The guided-missile destroyer sailed near the Spratly Islands, also known as the Nansha Islands in China, in the southeastern South China Sea as part of a “freedom of navigation operation,” according to a statement from the 7th Fleet.

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