Documentation released by the US military shows a dangerous incident. A Chinese J-11 fighter jet flew dangerously close to an American surveillance plane over the South China Sea. The US said its plane was flying legally while conducting routine operations in international airspace
A Chinese fighter jet flew within six meters (20 feet) of a US Air Force surveillance plane over the coast of the South China Sea, a US military spokesman said over the weekend. safe during the interception of a US Air Force RC-135 aircraft,” according to the US Indo-Pacific Command, which also released a video clip of the incident.
Documentation of the encounter shows the Chinese fighter jet flying several meters away from the much larger surveillance plane, a maneuver that the US says forced its pilot to take “stealthy” measures to avoid a collision. The US said its plane was flying legally while conducting routine operations in international airspace .
“The power of the United States in the Indo-Pacific region is free and open and we will continue to fly, sail and operate in the sea and international airspace with due consideration for the safety of all vessels and aircraft according to international law,” the US military said in a statement. “We expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific region to use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law,” the statement said.
A day after the near collision, American officials told the American media that they were following “closely” China’s military activity in the region. “We continue to oppose any military pressure or coercion against our allies and partners in the region,” the US Indo-Pacific Command said in a separate statement.