CHINA-US: REPORTS THAT CHINA HAS INSTRUCTED ITS MILITARY PERSONNEL NOT TO FIRE THE FIRST SHOT IN ANY SITUATION WITH THE U.S.

The South China Morning Post (SCMP - August 11) quoting sources said Beijing had ordered pilots and naval officers to exercise restraint in the increasingly frequent stand-offs with US planes and warships and told them “not to fire the first shot” as Beijing looks to de-escalate tensions with the United States in the South China Sea. It said both sides have stepped up their operations in the disputed waters, increasing the risk of incidents that spiral out of control, but Beijing does not want to give American hawks the opportunity to escalate things further. The sources said despite tough public language dismissing the US carrier strike groups as “paper tigers”, the PLA was wary of accidental clashes. The SCMP said a source close to the military also said Beijing had communicated through “various channels” to the US that it had told its military “never to fire first” in a goodwill gesture to keep the situation under control. He added “It’s easy to give the order to shoot, but neither China nor the US is able to control the consequences. The current situation is highly tense and very dangerous.” 







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