On December 21, there was an encounter between a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF) J-11BSH fighter jet and a US Air Force RC-135V #64-14842 Rivet Joint electronic intelligence aircraft over the South China Sea in international airspace. The U.S. has accused the Chinese fighter jet of “unsafe and unprofessional” behavior, stating that the Chinese pilot flew within six meters of the USAF plane, forcing it to take “evasive action” to avoid a collision.
The Chinese military, however, has accused the U.S. of engaging in “dangerous maneuvers” and “seriously violating” international law. According to the Chinese military, the RC-135 aircraft conducted close-in reconnaissance on China’s southern coastline and the Xisha Islands of Hainan, South China’s Hainan Province on Dec. 21. The PLAN Southern Theater Command scrambled aircraft to conduct tracking and monitoring of the American plane through its entire course. Despite multiple warnings from the Chinese side, the U.S. aircraft suddenly altered its course, pushing the Chinese aircraft towards the left in a dangerous approach movement, which seriously compromised the flight safety of the Chinese military aircraft, the Chinese military said.
Both sides have released videos of the incident, but they tell very different stories. The U.S. video appears to show the Chinese fighter jet flying dangerously close to the American plane, while the Chinese video appears to show the U.S. plane altering its flight path towards the Chinese aircraft.
“The Chinese pilot took professional and standard action according to laws and regulations, fully reflecting the Chinese military’s responsible attitude toward regional safety and the safety of frontline personnel,” said Senior Col. Tian Junli, a spokesperson for the PLA Southern Theater Command.
“The U.S. side intentionally misled the public, called black white, blamed on China while itself is to be blamed and attempted to confuse international opinion,” he added.
“We sternly require the U.S. to restrain the movements of its frontline maritime and aerial forces, strictly abide by related international laws and related agreements and prevent maritime and aerial accidents,” Tian said.
On the other hand, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command released a statement saying: “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. We expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific region to use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law.”
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