'Weird Logic': China Fires Back At Pentagon Official's 'Major Incident' In South China Sea Statement

Beijing has hit out at Washington, saying any untoward event in the South China Sea "could only mean U.S.-made conflict" in response to a senior Pentagon official's warning about the risk of a "major incident" in the disputed waters.

At an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, Assistant Secretary for Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner said Tuesday that Pentagon in recent months has "witnessed a sharp increase in unsafe and unprofessional behavior" by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Ratner said China’s "aggressive and irresponsible behavior" is a threat to peace and stability in the region. "If the PLA continues this pattern of behavior, it is only a matter of time before there is a major incident or accident in the region," he warned.

However, Ratner's comment was met with mockery and anger by the Chinese state media, which accused the U.S. of "stirring troubles on China's doorstep."

According to the Chinese state mouthpiece Global Times, Ratner's statement was akin to the Chinese proverb "a thief crying to stop a thief."

"Their logic is quite weird. If it is "aggressive" for the Chinese military to monitor and warn away foreign countries' ships and aircraft that conduct reconnaissance missions in China's waters, what about the US warships frequently trespassing in Chinese territorial waters of the Xisha Islands?" Global Times report that appeared Wednesday quoted Zhang Xuefeng, a Chinese military expert.

Zhang added that foreign vessels and aircraft have been stirring troubles on China's doorstep, "By smearing China, the U.S. is redefining what "aggressive" means," Zhang noted.

Another report published the same day by Global Times quoted a Chinese military expert who said the major incident referred to by Ratner means a military clash with the U.S. provoked by China.

"The so-called major incident is exactly a US-made conflict. While Ratner claimed "a major incident or accident in the region" triggered by China is a matter of time, it exactly shows that it is the U.S. that may send shockwaves in the South China Sea sooner or later," Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told Global Times.

The report also hit out against the presence of the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group on the South China Sea. According to Song, if the "U.S. carrier strike group attacks relevant islands in the South China Sea or clashes with Chinese warships and fighter jets, this may equal to creating a conflict."

The news outlet also took a dig at Ratner, quoting an analyst who said "Ratner has limited knowledge but deep-rooted convictions about China."

"He stresses maintaining the U.S. advantages and competing with China in all aspects. When people like him enter the Pentagon, they are bound to bring about a tougher stance toward China," Zhang Tengjun, deputy director of the Department for Asia-Pacific Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Global Times.