China’s targeting of Australian military planes ‘aggressive and irresponsible’, US says

Chinese fighter jet. US defense department’s Ely Ratner says China’s aggression in the Indo-Pacific is an attempt to challenge the rules-based order. Photograph: AP

China’s targeting of Australian military planes was “aggressive and irresponsible”, the United States Department of Defense says, and it “represents one of the most significant threats to peace and stability in the region”.

In comments released on Thursday morning, the US defense department’s Ely Ratner said Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific was an attempt to challenge the rules-based order and assert greater control in the area.