In what is becoming a routine event, a US Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance plane was again intercepted by two Chinese J-10 fighter planes during a routine patrol in international airspace over the East China Sea on Tuesday, the US Pacific Command said.
Stock photo of a RC-135U
The US is saying that the intercept was done in an unsafe manner – "One of the intercepting Chinese jets had an unsafe excessive rate of closure on the RC-135 aircraft. Initial assessment is that this seems to be a case of improper airmanship, as no other provocative or unsafe maneuvers occurred" Pacific Command said, without saying how close the Chinese fighter came to the US plane. One official told CNN that the jet was never closer than 100 feet however.
"The Department of Defense is addressing the issue with China in appropriate diplomatic and military channels" the Pacific Command statement added.
China's Defense Ministry said that it had noted the report and was looking into it. Additionally, China's Defense Ministry told Reuters "judging by the report, the US side is again deliberately hyping up the issue of the close surveillance of China by US military aircraft. Chinese military pilots consistently carry out operations in accordance with the law and the rules, and are professional and responsible."
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had a much more harsh point of view on the subject however…
"Frequent close-up surveillance activities by US military threaten China's air and maritime safety." Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei said according to Bloomberg.
Hong also added that "China has the right to take defensive measures", and when asked if the incident had been timed to coincide with the high-level China-US talks in Beijing, Hong responded "Ask the Americans."
The intercept comes just days after US Defense Secretary Ash carter and other top military officials attended a security meeting in Singapore, during which Carter said that China was building a "Great Wall of self-isolation" due to China's activities in the South China Sea, as well as reminding China that US intends to remain the main underwriter of security in the region. Carter reinforced that nothing would deter "America's determination to, and resolve to, fly, sail, or operate wherever international law allows." – something that has already led China to brand the US as being "The greatest threat to peace and stability"
With the US flat out stating that it wouldn't withdraw from the region due to the trillions in trade that passes through the South China Sea, we expect to continue to see more of these games being played between the two nations.
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