A Chinese military plane flew within 10 feet of a US plane earlier this month, according to authorities.
The US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) issued a statement on Thursday, stating that the incident occurred on December 21 in the South China Sea.
“On December 21 (China Standard Time), a J-11 fighter pilot of the People’s Liberation Army – Navy performed an unsafe maneuver during an intercept of a US Air Force RC-135 aircraft in the airspace international,” said USINDOPACOM.
The People’s Liberation Army plane flew 20 feet from the nose of the RC-135 craft. To avoid a collision, the US ship was forced to take evasive action.
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Footage of a Chinese pilot flying a jet just 10 feet away from a US Air Force RC-135 aircraft on December 21. (Credit: Department of Defense)
((Credit: Department of Defense))
The statement continued: “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.
USINDOPACOM concluded: “We look forward to all countries in the Indo-Pacific region using international airspace safely and in accordance with international law.”
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, fighter jets of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command conduct joint combat training exercises around the island of Taiwan on Aug. 7, 2022. China criticized an annual US defense spending bill for exaggerating the “threat from China”, while Taiwan welcomed the legislation, saying it demonstrated US support for the self-governing island it said China must be under your rule. “China deplores and strongly opposes this move by the United States,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted online on Saturday, December 24.
(Gong Yulong/Xinhua via AP)
The People’s Republic of China has become increasingly aggressive in recent months as tensions rise between the mainland nation and the island of Taiwan.
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China’s military has sent 71 planes and seven ships toward Taiwan in a 24-hour show of force targeting the self-governing island, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said on Monday, after China expressed anger over the Taiwan-related provisions. in a usa annual defense spending bill.
from China taiwan Military Harassment, What it claims is its own territory has intensified in recent years, and the Communist Party’s People’s Liberation Army has sent planes or ships to the island almost daily.
In this photo released on Dec. 31, 2021 by the Xinhua News Agency, an undated photo shows a carrier-based J-15 fighter jet preparing to land on the Chinese navy’s aircraft carrier Liaoning during combat training in open sea. China is holding military exercises in the disputed South China Sea to coincide with US President Joe Biden’s visits to South Korea and Japan, which are largely focused on countering the perceived threat from China.
((Hu Shanmin/Xinhua via AP))
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Between 6 a.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday, 47 of the Chinese planes crossed the median of the Taiwan Strait, an unofficial boundary once tacitly accepted by both sides, according to Taiwan Ministry of National Defense.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
