TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The U.S. military has claimed a Chinese fighter jet came within less than 3 meters from a U.S. Air Force USAF B-52 bomber as it flew over international waters in the South China Sea on Tuesday (Oct. 24).
In a statement released to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday (Oct. 27), the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the Chinese pilot of a Shenyang J-11 fighter jet "executed an unsafe intercept of a U.S. Air Force B-52 aircraft which was lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace." It condemned the pilot for flying in an "unsafe and unprofessional manner, demonstrating poor airmanship by closing with an uncontrolled excessive speed."
The U.S. said the J-11 fighter flew below, in front of, and within 3 m of the bomber, putting the two aircraft at risk of collision. It added, "We are concerned this pilot was unaware of how close he came to causing a collision."
The intercept by the People's Liberation Army (PLAAF) took place at night with poor visibility that was in a fashion "contrary to international air safety rules and norms." The U.S. exhorted PLAAF aircraft to to adhere to professional airmanship and consider the safety of other aircraft.
The unified combatant command vowed the U.S. will continue to "fly, sail, and operate – safely and responsibly – wherever international laws allow." It added that it remains dedicated to a "free and open Indo-Pacific region."
The incident comes as U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to hold talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (王毅) at the White House on Friday. Wang met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday (Oct. 26) and is also set to meet with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Friday.
Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) are also likely to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco next month, but neither side has confirmed the meeting.
#USINDOPACOM Statement on #PRC Unprofessional Intercept: "A People’s Republic of China J-11 pilot executed an unsafe intercept of a U.S. Air Force B-52 aircraft which was lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea..."
Read morehttps://t.co/UnCmnneAr7 pic.twitter.com/6k79Koah3V
— U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (@INDOPACOM) October 26, 2023
