China accuses US of interfering in training exercise before aerial confrontation
BEIJING — China’s Defense Ministry accused the U.S. of “interference and surveillance” of a naval exercise in the South China Sea ahead of an incident in which a Chinese fighter pilot flew at high speed in front of a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane, underscoring the rupture in contacts between their militaries. A statement issued late Wednesday by the Chinese military’s Southern Theater Command said it had “organized air forces to track and monitor the whole process, dealt with it according to laws and regulations, and operated professionally.” The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the pilot of a Chinese J-16 fighter had “performed an unnecessarily aggressive maneuver” while intercepting a U.S. Air Force RC-135 aircraft on May 26, flying directly in front of the plane’s nose. “The RC-135 was conducting safe and routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace, in accordance with international law,” the U.S. side said. “We expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific region to use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law.” Southern Theater Command spokesperson Senior Col. Zhang Nandong was quoted in the statement accusing the U.S. of “mixing up black and white and making false accusations in an attempt to confuse the international audience.” “We solemnly urge the U.S. to conscientiously restrain the actions of front-line naval and air forces, strictly abide by relevant international laws and relevant agreements, and prevent accidents at sea and in the air,” Zhang said.
Chinese helicopter flies within 3m of Philippine government plane in South China Sea
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