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China may take advantage of Ukraine's crisis for a provocative gesture in Asia, while Western powers are busy calming tensions with Russia, a US general warned today, quoted by AFP.

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NATO-Russia tensions 388

General Kenneth Wilsbach, commander of the US Air Force in the Pacific, said Beijing's support for Russia in its fight with the West over Ukraine raises questions about China's intentions in Asia.

"If we ask ourselves whether China will see what is happening in Europe and try to do something in the Indo-Pacific region, this is really worrying," the senior military told reporters on the sidelines of the Singapore Air Show.

"I am worried that the Chinese may want to take advantage of this. No wonder Beijing is trying to do something that could be provocative to see how the international community will react," he said.

China backed Russia in a joint statement earlier this month, opposing NATO enlargement in particular.

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General Wilsbach's Hawaii-based forces would play a key role in the event of a conflict in the Pacific.

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NATO-Russia tensions 388

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