China’s Aggression Risks Turning Yellow Sea Into Next Flashpoint: Analysts

The interception of an Australian aircraft exposes the strategic waters as a testing ground for Beijing’s coercive gray-zone operations.

J15 fighter jets on China's sole operational aircraft carrier, Liaoning, during a drill at sea on April 24, 2018. AFP via Getty Images

A recent military aircraft encounter between Australia and China indicates that the Yellow Sea could become a major flashpoint in the Indo-Pacific, as Beijing turns the strategic waters into a testing ground for gray-zone operations, experts warn.

The Australian Department of Defense said on March 6 that a Chinese military helicopter intercepted one of its aircraft over international waters in the Yellow Sea on March 4.