US wary of China ‘laying groundwork’ for using Russia’s Ukraine playbook in Asia, General Kenneth S. Wilsbach says

No surprise if China ‘tries something provocative’ in the Pacific that mirrors situation in Europe, says commander of the US Pacific Air Forces

Speaking on sidelines of Singapore Airshow, he says air chiefs of other nations have been alarmed by Beijing’s actions in Hong Kong, the South China Sea and Taiwan

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A Ukrainian serviceman walks in a trench at a frontline position in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine. Photo: AP

Published: 3:10pm, 16 Feb 2022Updated: 4:52pm, 16 Feb 2022

The United States is wary of China’s tacit support for Russia’s ongoing aggression towards Ukraine and the possibility that Beijing might one day use similar tactics to advance its interests in Asia, Washington’s top air force official in the region has said.

General Kenneth S. Wilsbach, commander of the US Pacific Air Forces, said China appeared to have aligned itself with Russia, including by recently backing Moscow’s objection to Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation or Nato.

“When you look at what China has said … it makes you concerned about what China might consider doing in the future that might look very similar to what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine,” he said.

“Perhaps they’re just laying the groundwork because they may want to do that at some point in the future and the United States [will] take issue with that.”

Russia has in recent days massed over 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border. While it had denied planning to invade the country, it has also made a series of demands regarding the security arrangement in Europe.

General Kenneth S. Wilsbach is the commander of US Pacific Air Forces. Photo: YouTube

Specifically, Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Nato to halt its expansion eastward and promise never to accept Ukraine as a member. The Nato alliance was originally created to deter Soviet expansion in Europe after the second world war; in 2004 it grew to include the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which had once been part of the Soviet Union.

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