China’s “Aggressive Behavior” in the South China Sea Must be Checked, Says U.S. Navy’s Top Pacific Commander

A U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon reconaissance aircraft circled over a Chinese Coast Guard vessel during a Philippines Navy re-supply mission of an outpost on a remote shoal in the South China Sea on August 22, 2023. TED ALJIBE / AFP

The United States Navy is ratcheting up the pressure on China over recent confrontations between the Chinese Coast Guard and Philippines maritime forces in the South China Sea.

“You’ve got to push back,” warned the U.S. Navy’s top commander in the Pacific, Vice Admiral Karl Thomas, on Sunday, who added that it’s imperative Beijing’s “aggressive behavior” must be challenged.

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by Eric Olander

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