US says Chinese jet made ‘unnecessarily aggressive’ interception of spy plane over South China Sea

Chinese fighter jet cuts in front of a US spy plane, as shown in video released by US Indo-Pacific Command

A Chinese fighter jet conducted an “unnecessarily aggressive maneuver” during an intercept of a US spy plane, the US military said in a statement on Tuesday.

The incident happened in international airspace over the South China Sea last week.

A video of the incident, released by the US military shows a Chinese J-16 fighter jet cut directly in front of a US RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft on May 26.

The force of the Chinese plane's move causes turbulence, leaving the US military plane buffeting and wobbling in its wake.

The US says their aircraft was carrying out “safe and routine operations” in international airspace, US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) said.

The statement read: “The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate – safely and responsibly – wherever international law allows, and the US Indo-Pacific Joint Force will continue to fly in international airspace with due regard for the safety of all vessels and aircraft under international law."

Over the past several years, the South China Sea, where the incident took place, has emerged as a major potential point of contention in the Asia Pacific, CNN reported.

More to follow...

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