Prominent Chinese Journalist Hu Xijin: The 2001 Hainan Island Incident Warned America That It Is Dangerous To Conduct Close Recon Near Our Territory; China Has A Duty To Fend Off American Forces That Get Too Close

Chinese journalist Hu Xijin, the former Editor-in-Chief of Global Times, said in a video posted to the Global Times YouTube channel on April 2, 2024 that the April 2001 Hainan Island incident sent an "unprecedented warning" to the United States that it is dangerous to conduct close reconnaissance missions near Chinese territory, and that China has a duty to use its growing strength to defend itself by driving away American naval and aerial forces operating too close to its shores.

Hu Xijin: "Twenty-three years ago today, a US reconnaissance aircraft collided with a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea, not far from the Chinese coastline, resulting in the death of the Chinese pilot on board. The incident created a crisis between the two countries. China lost one of its pilots, but it also sent an unprecedented warning to the US that it is dangerous to conduct close-in reconnaissance on China.

"The reverse pressure on the US from that collision is still playing a role today. China is a rising power, but from time to time, US reconnaissance aircraft fly passing over the South China Sea, dozens of kilometers from China's coastline. And US warships frequently cruise not far from the Yangtze River estuary next to Shanghai. The US' military hegemony is too rampant, and it also tries to legitimize and normalize this kind of threat to China's security.

"China is bound to use its constantly growing strength to drive away US forces from China's coastline step by step, to push it further away. I hope the US remembers that collision 23 years ago as they owed a life to the PLA. If there is another collision, I am sure it will never be the case in which only the PLA pilot loses his life while US crew members remain unharmed."