Two Chinese Sukhoi Su-30 jets have conducted an "unprofessional" intercept of a US aircraft, the US military said.
One
of the Chinese jets came as close as 150ft (45m) to the US WC-135 plane
and flew upside down above it, according to US officials cited by CNN.
The US says the plane was on a mission to detect radiation in international airspace over the East China Sea.
Tensions have repeatedly risen over US activity near the resource-rich international waters off China's coast.
The
intercept, which took place on Wednesday, was deemed unprofessional
"due to the manoeuvres by the Chinese pilot, as well as the speeds and
proximity of both aircraft," Air Force spokesman Lt Col Lori Hodge said.
She
said the issue was "being addressed with China through appropriate
diplomatic and military channels", and a military investigation was
under way.
China has not commented on the incident, but it
accuses the US of carrying out reconnaissance flights over Chinese
coastal waters and regularly calls on the US to reduce patrols in the
area.
China claims sovereignty over almost all of the disputed
territory in the South and East China seas, though several other
countries in the region have competing claims.
China has backed its expansive claims with island-building and naval patrols.
The US sniffer aircraft has previously been used to detect evidence of possible nuclear tests by North Korea.
SOURCE BBC
No comments:
Post a Comment