An increase in China's aggressive behavior in the South China Sea could eventually lead to a major incident in the region, said US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Ely Ratner at a conference of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, BI reports.

"We see Beijing combining its growing military power with greater willingness to take risks," Ely Ratner said at a Center for Strategic & International Studies conference. "In recent months, we've witnessed a sharp increase in unsafe and unprofessional behavior by [Chinese] ships and aircraft — implicating not only US forces, but allied forces operating in the region," he added. 

He specifically cited recent allegations by Canada and Australia that Chinese aircraft were making dangerous intercepts near their aircraft while on routine missions.

Ratner said that over the last five years, the number of "unsafe" Chinese fighter jet intercepts over the South China Sea has "increased dramatically" and that there have been dozens "dangerous" incidents in 2022 alone. 

He noted that if China continues this pattern of behavior, it is only a matter of time before a major incident occurs.