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The People's Republic of China is willfully terminating and reactivating channels of communication with the United States, defense officials warn.
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner told reporters at the Defense News Conference on Wednesday that the communist nation's military is intentionally disrupting its own lines with the U.S.
"We have been brutally consistent — and Sec. [Lloyd] Austin has been consistent — in saying again and again the United States seeks open lines of communication with the [People’s Republic of China]," Ratner told journalists and other attendees.
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People's Liberation Army soldiers march out from their quarters during the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China's ruling Communist Party in Beijing. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)
He continued, "They have turned those on and off like a light switch for political reasons."
Ratner expressed concern that the intentional lack of clear, consistent communication lines at the executive level between the two countries could lead to an international incident in the event of a misunderstanding.
Specifically, the People's Liberation Army's continued harassment of Taiwan — such as trespassing into the island's waters and airspace — could potentially ignite a hot conflict if China's tactical transgressions accidentally go too far.
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Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, testifies during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing titled "Evaluating U.S.-China Policy in the Era of Extreme Competition." (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
China has also run simulations and drills on missile launches that make clear their capability of striking Taiwan, further escalating cold hostilities.
Ratner cited Cold War communication lines between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union as an informative case study for the situation.
While clarifying that it's "not a perfect analogy for the US-China dynamic," Ratner said it is an example of ensuring transmissions were always capable even with hostile counties.
The Pentagon is seen from a flight taking off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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"It’s dangerous, and the PLA has got to knock it off. The question for [China] is: do we have to wait to have such a dangerous crisis before they realize the benefits of that kind of engagement?" Ratner asked.
He added, "Our hope is not."
Timothy Nerozzi is a writer for Fox News Digital. You can follow him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and can email him at timothy.nerozzi@fox.com
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Street Lamp This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2023 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.