A Chinese J-16 fighter jet reduce in front of the nose of the U.S. Air Force RC-135 aircraft, “forcing the U.S. plane to fly by its wake turbulence,” on Might 26, mentioned the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in a statement.
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The United States has accused a Chinese fighter jet of engaging in an “unnecessarily aggressive maneuver” whilst intercepting a U.S. military reconnaissance plane in international airspace about the South China Sea.
It is the newest in a collection of flashpoints in the really contested territory that China claims as its have.
The Chinese J-16 fighter jet minimize in entrance of the nose of the U.S. Air Pressure RC-135 aircraft, “forcing the U.S. plane to fly as a result of its wake turbulence,” explained the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in a assertion.
The U.S. aircraft was conducting “harmless and plan functions about the South China Sea in international airspace, in accordance with international law,” in accordance to the statement.
China’s Protection Ministry did not quickly reply to CNBC’s request for remark.
The incident took put on Saturday and a video clip recording was posted on the Twitter account of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
The South China Sea has been a important flashpoint in the Asia-Pacific in at minimum the final ten years as China grew far more assertive with its burgeoning financial clout bolstering its worldwide influence.
As component of its projection of electricity, China statements maritime jurisdiction above the strategic waterway that is prosperous with assets these as oil and gasoline.
Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have competing claims to parts of the waterway, a crucial trade route.
Relations concerning China and the U.S. have been additional strained in August soon after then-U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi frequented Taiwan – the self-governing island that China also statements as its possess. She was the best ranking U.S. formal to check out inspite of China’s warning to the U.S. to abide by the “Just one China” basic principle.