Chinese jet armed with missiles intercepts US plane over South China Sea: Report

A Chinese jet, armed with missiles, settled a number of hundred ft from the wing of a US patrol plane and escorted it for quarter-hour earlier than turning away over the South China Sea.  

New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 26, 2023 11:12 IST

A Chinese Navy J-11 fighter jet is recorded flying near a U.S. Air Force RC-135 plane in worldwide airspace over the South China Sea in December 2022. (Photo: Reuters)

By India Today World Desk: A Chinese J-11 fighter jet, armed with air-to-air missiles, intercepted a US patrol plane close to the Paracel Islands over the South China Sea on Friday, a report mentioned.

The US Navy P-8 Poseidon, was flying 21,500 ft over the South China Sea, when the pilot noticed a Chinese jet with a crimson star on the tail fins and the missiles it was armed with, CNN reported.

The Chinese jet, which settled a number of hundred ft from the wing of the US plane, escorted it for quarter-hour earlier than turning away.

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The US patrol plane acquired a message from China’s People’s Liberation Army: American plane. Chinese airspace is 12 nautical miles away. Not approaching any extra otherwise you bear all accountability.

China claims just about your entire South China Sea and strongly objects to army exercise by different nations within the contested waterway by which $5 trillion in items are shipped yearly.

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It has accused the US of utilizing patrol plane to spy on China and hasn’t responded to US requires talks on such probably harmful army encounters.

Besides, Paracel Island, over which the US plane was intercepted is a disputed area with China, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all staking claims. It has additionally emerged as a flashpoint between the US and China lately.

SOUTH CHINA SEA

China claims your entire area as its personal and has constructed synthetic islands, army bases, runways and weapons methods. Paracel Island homes one such army base and China claims the encircling 12 nautical miles of airspace as its personal.

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The US takes no official place on sovereignty within the South China Sea, however maintains that freedom of navigation and overflight have to be preserved. Several instances a 12 months, it sends ships crusing previous fortified Chinese outposts within the Spratly Islands, prompting protests from Beijing.

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The US has additionally been strengthening its protection alliance with the Philippines, which has confronted encroachment on islands and fisheries by the Chinese coast guard and nominally civilian however government-backed fleets.

The tensions over the South China Sea come amid a diplomatic row sparked by a suspected Chinese spy balloon, which was shot down by a US fighter jet off the coast of South Carolina.

The US mentioned the unmanned balloon was outfitted to detect and acquire intelligence indicators, however Beijing insists it was a climate analysis airship that had accidently blown off beam.

Published On:

Feb 26, 2023