The US military says a Chinese fighter jet flew dangerously close to an Air Force plane over the South China Sea, forcing the US pilot to maneuver to avoid a collision.
The US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement Thursday that the incident occurred on Dec. 21 when a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy J-11 flew in front of and within 6 meters (20 feet) of the nose of an RC-135, a type of large reconnaissance aircraft operated by the US Air Force.
The US aircraft was “lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace,” the statement said. Its pilot was forced to “perform evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision.” China frequently challenges US and allied military aircraft, especially over the strategically vital South China Sea, which China claims in its entirety.
Such behavior led to a mid-air collision in 2001 in which a Chinese plane was lost and the pilot killed.
“The US Indo-Pacific Joint Force is dedicated to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and will continue to fly, sail, and operate at sea and in international airspace with due regard for the safety of all. ships and aircraft under international law”. the statement said.
“We expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific region to use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law,” he said.
China deeply resents the presence of US military assets in the South China Sea and regularly demands that its ships and planes leave the area.
The United States says it has the full right to operate in and over the South China Sea and ignores Chinese demands.
Such dangerous incidents persist despite agreements between the US and China on how to deal with unexpected encounters.
The United States and others have also accused China of harassing military aircraft and ships in the East China Sea off the Chinese coast and as far away as the Horn of Africa, where China operates a naval base.
There was no immediate response to the latest US complaint about the PLA, the military wing of China’s ruling Communist Party.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin did not provide details, but accused the United States of posing “serious threats to China’s national security” with its surveillance operations.
“China will continue to take necessary measures to firmly uphold its sovereignty and security, and work with countries in the region to firmly uphold the peace and stability of the South China Sea,” Wang told a daily briefing on Friday.
Wang also renewed Beijing’s objections to US arms sales to Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island that Beijing threatens to take over by force if necessary. Washington this week approved the sale of a $180 million anti-tank system to Taiwan as the threat from the Chinese military grows.
Although the US has no formal ties to Taiwan in deference to Beijing, US law requires it to ensure the island has the means to defend itself.
While Beijing has not given Taiwan a deadline to accept its ultimatum, some US defense officials believe Chinese leader Xi Jinping has become more eager to force a military solution in the coming years.
The United States “should stop arms sales and military contact with Taiwan and stop creating new factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” Wang said.
“China will take strong measures to firmly defend its sovereignty and security interests,” he said.
