The U.S. Military said a Chinese fighter jet flew dangerously close to one of its own planes, forcing the pilot to take action to avoid a mid-air collision.
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that on Dec. 21, a Chinese Navy J-11 fighter pilot “performed an unsafe maneuver during an intercept of a U.S. Air Force RC-135 aircraft.” The U.S. plane was in international airspace conducting lawful and routine operations over the South China Sea at the time. Officials said the Chinese jet came within 20 feet of the nose of the U.S. jet, which forced the pilot “to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision.”
China has made clear it resents the presence of the U.S. military in the South China Sea and has made regular demands that ships and planes leave the area, according to The Associated Press. The U.S. has said it is entitled to operate in and over the South China Sea and has ignored the demands.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command told The New York Times, “We have seen an alarming increase in the number of unsafe aerial intercepts and confrontations at sea by (Chinese military) aircraft and vessels.”
The U.S. and other countries have accused China of harassing military aircraft and ships in the East China Sea, the AP reported.
A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry did not directly respond to questions about the incident, but told The New York Times, “The United States’ provocative and dangerous actions are the root cause of maritime security issues.”
©2022 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
