China has become more ‘aggressive and dangerous’ to US, and its allies says chair of Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley

The Chinese military has become significantly more aggressive and dangerous over the past five years, the top US military officer said during a trip to the Indo-Pacific that included a stop Sunday in Indonesia.

“The message is the Chinese military, in the air and at sea, have become significantly more and noticeably more aggressive in this particular region,” said Milley, who recently asked his staff to compile details about interactions between China and the USand others in the region.

His comments came as the US redoubles its efforts to strengthen its relationships with Pacific nations as a counterbalance to China, which is trying to expand its presence and influence in the region. The Biden administration considers China its “pacing threat” and America’s primary long-term security challenge.

Milley’s trip to the region is sharply focused on the China threat. He will attend a meeting of Indo-Pacific chiefs of defence this week in Sydney, Australia, where key topics will be China’s escalating military growth and the need to maintain a free, open and peaceful Pacific.