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South China Sea
ChinaMilitary

Chinese fighter jet flies metres from US military plane in ‘unsafe’ South China Sea encounter

  • The PLA J-11 soars three metres from American reconnaissance plane’s wing then comes within six metres of its nose, according to US military
  • The American pilot is forced to take ‘evasive manoeuvres’ to avoid crash

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The US military says a Chinese navy J-11 fighter pilot performed an ‘unsafe’ manoeuver over the South China Sea. Photo: US Indo-Pacific Command Public Affairs
Kinling Lo
A Chinese fighter jet flew within metres of a US air force plane in the South China Sea, forcing the American aircraft to take “evasive manoeuvres” to avoid a collision, the US military said.

A Chinese Navy J-11 fighter pilot manoeuvred about three metres (10 feet) from a US RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance plane’s wing during the intercept on December 21, according to Reuters. The incident was only made public on Thursday.

The Chinese pilot then “flew an unsafe manoeuvre by flying in front of and within 20 feet of the nose of the RC-135, forcing the RC-135 to take evasive manoeuvres to avoid a collision,” said the statement published by the US Indo-Pacific Command.

“We expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific region to use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law,” it said.

According to footage of the incident from a US military video distribution hub, the Chinese fighter appeared to be flying parallel to the American aircraft.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin blamed Washington’s “provocative and dangerous actions” for causing maritime security issues, during a regular press briefing on Friday afternoon.

“The US has seriously endangered China’s national security by frequently sending ships and planes to conduct reconnaissance at close range,” Wang said.

Beijing called on Washington to stop “making provocative moves and smearing China,” Wang added.

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