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China and US at high risk of stumbling into conflict over military misfire: analyst
- Leaders of both countries have said they don’t want a war and relations are better than they were several years ago, Wang Jisi says
- But they can still ‘lose their sense and get into a fight’
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The risk of an accidental military conflict between China and the United States is high despite efforts by both countries to ease tensions, according to a senior Chinese foreign policy adviser.
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In an interview with Shenzhen Satellite TV on Tuesday, Wang Jisi, president of the Institute of International and Strategic Studies at Peking University, said he was neither optimistic nor pessimistic about US-China relations this year but there was a risk of accidental conflict.
“I believe that we have a guarantee of peace. The leaders of both nations have repeatedly stressed in their conversations that they do not want a new cold war or a political war, or a hot war,” Wang said.
“But there is a possibility of a misfire, for example, over the South China Sea and Taiwan. The two countries’ militaries, such as their planes and warships, are now very close to each other. It might break out into a bigger war if there was a mishap.”
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Mighty Dragon: China’s upgraded J-20 stealth fighter
Mighty Dragon: China’s upgraded J-20 stealth fighter
He said defence officials from both countries were working to manage the crisis, and there were mechanisms to contain the tensions.
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“I don’t think there will be a large-scale war between the two countries,” Wang said.
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