Two Chinese Fighters Intercept U.S. Plane Over South China Sea

From Bloomberg (May 18): Two Chinese Fighters Intercept U.S. Plane Over South China Sea

** Encounter in international airspace could further strain ties

** American plane forced to descend to avoid collision, AP says

 

Two Chinese fighters jets intercepted a U.S. surveillance plane over international waters of the disputed South China Sea, an action that could strain already fraught relations between the U.S. and China.

The incident occurred Tuesday, when two Chinese “tactical aircraft” intercepted in an “unsafe” manner a U.S. surveillance plane on a routine patrol, the Pentagon said in a statement. The encounter is reminiscent of an incident in August 2014, when a Chinese fighter jet flew within 20 feet of a U.S. P-8 Poseidon aircraft flying near China’s southern Hainan Island, home to a Chinese naval and submarine base.

Bloomberg Visual Data: The Face Off in the South China Sea

This week’s intercept occurred in the northern part of the sea, south of Hong Kong, and the two Chinese J-11 jets came within about 50 feet (15 meters) of the U.S. EP-3 Aries reconnaissance plane, the Associated Press reported, citing an unidentified unofficial. The pilot was forced to descend a couple of hundred feet, the AP said.

Tensions between the U.S. and China are running high in the lead-up to a decision expected by mid-year from an international tribunal over China’s claims to more than 80 percent of the South China Sea.

The U.S. is not a claimant but has positioned itself as the champion of freedom of navigation in the area, which hosts more than $5 trillion of trade a year.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-19/two-chinese-fighters-intercept-u-s-plane-over-south-china-sea