The intercept involved a Chinese J-10 fighter plane and a U.S. Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance plane, the officials said.
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One of the Chinese jets had “an unsafe excessive rate of closure” on the American aircraft, it stated.
In the statement released in English and Chinese, the Foreign Ministry said there was a clear agreement reached between China and the Philippines to settle their South China Sea dispute through negotiation.
Just last month, two Chinese fighters intercepted an EP-3 Aries signals reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea. One US official told CNN the Chinese plane was never closer than 30 metres.
The concept of freedom of navigation is frequently used to justify actions by the U.S.in the South China Sea. “Chinese military pilots always operate according to laws and regulations, and are professional and responsible”, the ministry told the Wall Street Journal.
Although China is rapidly developing a military presence in the South China Sea, it also seems to be taking this two-pronged approach to legitimizing its ownership of the contested area – that is, putting forth the argument that it has developed a fledgling civilian population that is now able to sustain itself.
“It is completely groundless for the Philippines to claim that it is meaningless to continue the negotiations, and that the Philippine side has had to initiate the arbitration”, the statement added. “Those are really over the course of time rare”.
China is all set to take things to another level by designing and building a manned deep-sea lab to hunt for minerals in the South China Sea.
China claims almost all of the South China Sea, despite partial counterclaims by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines. Tokyo faces its own disputes with Beijing in the East China Sea.
The Philippines ruling therefore marks the latest in what are likely to be increasingly frequent skirmishes, leading to more strained relations between the world’s two largest military powers.
China is speeding up efforts to design and build a manned deep-sea platform to help it hunt for minerals in the South China Sea, one that may also serve a military goal in the disputed waters.
The country recently announced its intention to establish an “air defence identification zone” (ADIZ) in efforts to secure the region and deter U.S. military activities, which in turn has also stirred tensions with other nations, straining China’s relationship with neighbours such as Vietnam and Philippines.
The ministry presentation didn’t give any estimated price tag but Bryan Clark, who formerly served as special assistant to the chief of USA naval operations, said the cost could be daunting and its vulnerability to detection would make it less attractive militarily than using a submarine or an unmanned vehicle.
While reassuring the world Monroe Doctrine is out-of-date in the 21st century, China’s Ambassador to the US launched an appeal for a peaceful South China Sea. Building something like this would get them at par with the U.S., Japan, France and Russian Federation on underwater technology.
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Analysts said China’s statement may be fuelled by its optimism in dealing with Mr Duterte, who has raised the possibility of direct talks with China. The region should not become a competing ground for China and the U.S. In fact, we have significant potential for cooperation in this region and beyond.
