Another military official quoted by the Associated Press news agency said the United States pilot was forced to descend about 200ft (60m) to avoid a collision.
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“We demand that the United States immediately cease this type of close reconnaissance activity to avoid having this sort of incident happening again”, added Mr Hong at a routine media briefing.
On Wednesday, NBC News revealed a statement from Pentagon indicating that the interception of China’s J-11 aircraft was “unsafe”, noting that Chinese military pilots had improved over the years. The officials claimed that one of the J-11 Chinese jet fighters came within 50 feet of the USA plane, causing the pilot to drop altitude.
He also urged the USA to cease its reconnaissance activities near the Chinese coast, repeating the government’s warning that such actions hurt China’s national security.
The U.S. Pacific Command is now probing the incident, which several reports noted to be at an impeccable timing to President Barack Obama’s tour in Asia between May 21 and May 28, which would include his first visit to Vietnam and his attendance at a Group of Seven summit in Japan.
China says it is entitled to defend these areas, but the Pentagon disagrees.
Kerry said he wanted China to end its militarization of the contested islands in the South China Sea.
China, and several other nations, lay claims to maritime figures in the South China Sea.
While China has returned the blame, calling American claims “untrue” and saying the plane was in its waters off the island province of Hainan.
Not only scrambling military jets and warships when foreign vessels sail near disputed claims but also in worldwide airspace and shipping lanes would help ensure Beijing’s long-held ambition of South China Sea domination and de facto control of the troubled waterway.
China has always been irked by USA reconnaissance missions off the Chinese island province of Hainan, which sits at the northern end of the South China Sea and is home to a number of highly sensitive naval and air installations.
“In accordance with laws and regulations, the two Chinese military aircraft followed and monitored the US plane from a safe distance without taking any unsafe actions”.
In that incident, three Chinese fighter jets monitored the US destroyer, along with three Chinese ships, until the American vessel left the area.
The crash, which occurred in 2001, unleashed an 11-day standoff as Beijing interrogated the 24 U.S. crew, and held the plane for several months, seriously straining relations between the countries.
The U.S. plane was on a routine mission in worldwide airspace. It said the plane was in worldwide airspace at the time.
Kim was political-military chief at the US Embassy in Seoul from 2002 to 2006.
The U.S. aircraft was identified to be a Navy E-P3 which had been flying in “routine patrol”, Baldanza added.
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The Guangdong coast is also believed to be home to some of China’s most advanced missiles, including the DF-21D anti-ship weapon.
