2024-03-29 07:36

Top US general says China’s military has become more aggressive to US over last 5 years

(CNN) The most senior US general has issued a stark warning about China’s military intentions toward the US and allies in the region, saying Beijing has become more aggressive and the number of Chinese intercepts at sea and in the air have “increased significantly” in recent years.

“China’s increasing in their aggressiveness in their rhetoric, but also in their activity,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said Friday to a group of reporters traveling with him in Asia, according to a Defense Department transcript of his remarks.

“The volume, the number of Chinese intercepts at sea and in the air have increased significantly over five years,” Milley said, though he offered no further details on the figure.

The strong comments from Milley underscore the Biden administration’s efforts to make countering China a key strategic priority, and they come as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appears to be preparing to lead a congressional delegation to Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own territory.

President Joe Biden has suggested the US military believes a potential trip by Pelosi and other lawmakers would pose security risks. The Pentagon has declined to say if officials have directly briefed the California Democrat, but officials say worries include China establishing a no-fly zone or increasing unsafe intercepts of US and allied ships and aircraft in the Pacific region.

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