Chinese fighter jet harassed U.S. Air Force spy plane over South China Sea
CBSDec 26, 2022
The Facts
South Korea and Japan reportedly had to scramble their fighter jets on Tuesday after four Chinese and four Russian military aircraft entered the South's air defense identification zone unannounced, although they didn't violate either nations' airspace.
Beijing's defense ministry suggested the operation with Russia — the sixth since 2019 — was part of an annual cooperation plan between the two countries' militaries.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
This incident indicates that Sino-Russian military cooperation, which has ramped up in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, poses a serious threat to the rule-based world order, especially, to freedom-loving countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Japan and South Korea must bolster security ties with other regional powers, as well as with the US and NATO, to defend the status quo.
Establishment-critical narrative
China and Russia are strengthening their ties, as evidenced by this lawful joint aerial strategic patrol. Both countries are taking a much-needed step toward promoting peace and stability in the region, while the US is saber-rattling over Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, and the South China Sea to provoke a Ukraine-like crisis in the region. Western hegemony is undermining stability in the Asia-Pacific.
Metaculus Prediction
Establishment split
CRITICAL
PRO
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