Senior Marine Suggests U.S. Should Capitalize on China’s Recent ‘Malign Behavior
“Like when you’re ramming ships, when you’re using water cannons, when you’re using underwater sonar, lasers blinding people — not helpful, not helpful at all,” said Brig. Gen. Stephen Lightfoot.
The escalating “increasingly malign behavior” exhibited by China in the southwest Pacific may be causing dissatisfaction among its neighboring countries. However, according to a senior Marine officer, it is also presenting an opportunity for the United States to enhance its influence in the region.
“… What strengthens a partnership is when someone has a problem and they know that they can go to the United States, and they can say, ‘Thank you for helping us,’ it just strengthens those partnerships,” Brig. Gen. Stephen Lightfoot said today at an event hosted by the Center for Naval Analyses. “And we’re seeing that in the Philippines right now where China is doing some pretty malign behavior, right?
“Like when you’re ramming ships, when you’re using water cannons, when you’re using underwater sonar, lasers blinding people — not helpful, not helpful at all,” said Lightfoot, who serves as director of the Marines’ Capabilities Development Directorate. “They’re creating a problem for themselves, and we need to be able to take advantage of that by showing that we are the partner of choice.”
Lightfoot referred to a series of incidents occurring in the past few weeks in and around the contested South China Sea. China has been accused of harassing vessels and personnel from the Philippines and, in the case of an underwater sonar event, in Australia, resulting in injuries to a diver, according to the Australian government.
One noteworthy incident involved Chinese ships allegedly using water cannons against Philippine vessels, including one carrying Philippine Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Romeo Brawner.
Despite Brawner’s reported belief that the Chinese were unaware of his presence, the Philippine government deemed it a “serious escalation” by agents of the People’s Republic of China, as reported by Reuters. In response, the Chinese Foreign Ministry claimed a Philippine ship had rammed a Chinese coast guard vessel, accusing the Philippine ships of violating China’s sovereignty.
Addressing these concerns, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had a phone conversation with Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro Jr., discussing the “coercive and unlawful actions” by China over the weekend.
“Secretary Austin expressed U.S. support for the Philippines in defending its sovereign rights following international law, emphasizing that the United States’ commitment to the Philippines remains ironclad,” a Pentagon readout said.
Last week, John Blaxland, a professor at the Australian National University located in Washington, DC, conveyed to Breaking Defense that, up to that point, China’s actions had raised concerns “point to a ratcheting of pressure in support of spurious claims over the Nine-Dash Line. This comes just as countries like the Philippines, Japan, Vietnam, and others push back harder.”
In October, the United States leveled accusations against the Chinese military, citing a series of what they deemed as unsafe or unprofessional behaviors during interactions with American forces. A U.S. Navy admiral expressed concern that these actions were likely a result of directives from the top leadership in China.
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Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, stated in November that Chinese forces were becoming increasingly provocative, causing deep concern. He noted instances where they jeopardized themselves and the individuals on the vessels and aircraft involved in the interactions. Paparo emphasized that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was making unlawful claims with no basis in international law or custom, operating under the logic of military power.
These incidents persisted despite a seemingly thawing in relations between the U.S. and China, following a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House in mid-November.
