Chinese pilot flew 20 feet from US Air Force craft during operations

A Chinese military airplane flew within 10 feet of a U.S. aircraft earlier this month, according to officials.

The United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) released the statement Thursday, stating the incident occurred on Dec. 21 in the South China Sea.

“On Dec. 21 (China Standard Time), a People’s Liberation Army – Navy J-11 fighter pilot performed an unsafe maneuver during an intercept of a U.S. Air Force RC-135 aircraft, which was lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace,” the USINDOPACOM stated.

The People’s Liberation Army plane flew within 20 feet of the RC-135 craft’s nose. In order to avoid a collision, the U.S. craft was forced to take evasive action.

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The statement continued, “The U.S. 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 vessels and aircraft under international law. 

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

The People’s Republic of China has grown increasingly aggressive in recent months as tensions between the mainland nation and the island of Taiwan escalate.

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China’s military sent 71 planes and seven ships toward Taiwan in a 24-hour display of force directed at the self-ruled island, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Monday, after China expressed anger at Taiwan-related provisions in a U.S. annual defense spending bill.

China’s military harassment of Taiwan, which 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 toward the island on a near-daily basis.

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’s Ministry of National Defense.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.