On Thursday, the US military reported a concerning incident in the South China Sea involving a Chinese fighter jet and a US bomber, which the US views as part of a pattern of increasingly risky behavior by Chinese military aircraft.
According to the US military, on Tuesday, a Chinese J-11 jet came dangerously close to a B-52 aircraft, with the two aircraft coming within just 3 meters of each other. The Chinese pilot was accused of flying in an unsafe and unprofessional manner, demonstrating poor airmanship by flying at an uncontrolled excessive speed, positioning the jet below, in front of, and within 3 meters of the B-52, which put both aircraft at risk of a potential collision. The US expressed concern that the Chinese pilot may not have been fully aware of the perilous proximity.
This incident comes in the wake of the Pentagon’s recent disclosure that Chinese military aircraft have conducted close maneuvers near US aircraft on nearly 200 occasions since 2021.
In response to previous allegations of “risky and coercive” aerial encounters, China’s defense ministry has labeled them as premeditated attempts to tarnish China with political motives.
Tensions between China and the United States have remained high, with disagreements spanning a range of issues, including Taiwan, China’s human rights practices, and its military activities in the South China Sea.
Despite these challenges, Washington has expressed an eagerness to reestablish military-to-military communication with China. This development occurs as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi embarked on a highly anticipated visit to Washington, with both countries aiming to manage their significant strategic differences and pave the way for an anticipated summit between President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.