A decision by China and Russia to fly bombers off the coast of the United States for the first time could signal the formation of a new “axis of aggression” that could spark World War III, experts said.
Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping may be bringing humanity closer to World War III, experts have warned after a bomber plane was intercepted off the coast of the United States.
Two long-range bombers from China and Russia were tracked flying over international waters near Alaska on Wednesday, prompting US and Canadian fighter jets to be scrambled. Beijing and Moscow confirmed they conducted joint patrols on Thursday over the Bering Sea that separates Russia from Alaska. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) insisted that Wednesday’s Chinese and Russian military actions were not considered a threat.
But the unprecedented move comes after months of growing military ties between the two countries, which have raised concerns among Western officials. Anthony Gleese, a professor of politics at the University of Buckingham, told the Mirror that as Putin and Xi Jinping try to “undermine NATO”, a frightening World War II-style “axis” between the two countries could be forming, and Britons should pay attention.
Regarding the appearance of the bombers, he said: “I think this is very significant. As far as we know, this is the first time that Russian and Chinese aircraft have conducted a joint operation over the Bering Sea. This is international airspace, but the important thing is that this was a joint operation and it involved Russian and Chinese bombers.”
“I think this will make a lot of people uneasy. The bombers involved are a Russian TU-95 Bear and a Chinese H-6. There have been joint operations between Russia and China, such as territorial reconnaissance, but the fact that it is a bomber is a clear threat to NATO’s northern allies.”
“This is consistent with what we know as Putin’s core strategy to undermine NATO. Certainly we’re talking about the Bering Sea, we’re not talking about Ukraine or China giving Putin the weapons he so desperately needs. We’re talking about this axis of aggression that involves Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.”
The term “Axis” is a clear evocation of the deadly alliance between Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan in World War Two, and Gries believes we should “learn the lessons of the 1930s” with these latest developments in the Bering Sea signaling a confluence of hostile military strategies. “We are facing what may be the contours of the slide into World War III,” he said. “The big difference for us in Britain is that in 1939 we still had a direct military and political interest in the Asia-Pacific region because we had an empire to defend.”
“We are a European power in 2024. We have to recognise that we have a very important role to play. In that sense, if this is a new war, I pray to God, it will be with a global alliance that threatens NATO. The focus is on Europe and European security, just as it was in 1941. The lesson we need to learn is that we have to be strong and we have to contain what can be contained without getting out of control. We are in a very dangerous situation right now and I don’t think people are paying enough attention to foreign policy threats.”
But clear differences remain between Beijing and Moscow’s foreign policy approaches, the expert said, adding: “China doesn’t want to start a world war over Taiwan. China is playing the long game. Russia is playing the very short game. Putin wants to get his hands on Ukraine, especially the four eastern provinces he is targeting, but he has to do it very quickly.” He also urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to take a “leadership role” on the global stage, saying the “most powerful way” to avoid a new international conflict was to “deter Putin now” through decisive action in support of Ukraine, which would help keep China at bay.