(UnitedVoice.com) – The Chinese military made a number of aggressive moves over the last year or so. It has repeatedly entered Taiwan’s airspace. But something even more shocking happened at the end of 2022.
On December 29, US Indo-Pacific Command issued a statement informing the public about an incident that occurred on December 21. According to the military, a Chinese fighter pilot intercepted a US Air Force RC-135 plane legally operating over international water and performed an unsafe maneuver. The Chinese aircraft flew within 20 feet of the American jet causing it to take “evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision.”
On Dec. 21 (China Standard Time), a PLAN J-11 fighter pilot performed an unsafe maneuver during an intercept of a U.S. Air Force RC-135 aircraft, which was lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace. https://t.co/XCxagp6ty9 pic.twitter.com/EQxvSjldrC
— Indo-Pacific Defense FORUM (@IPDefenseForum) December 30, 2022
The statement went on to say the US military is “dedicated to a free and open Indo-Pacific region” and will continue to operate in it “in accordance with international law.”
The incident came days before China sent 71 warplanes into the airspace surrounding Taiwan in a 24-hour show of force. Forty-seven of those planes crossed over the median of the Taiwan Strait, the line unofficially recognized as the island’s boundary.
In July, the Associated Press reported Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley pointed out the number of military intercepts was on the rise. The latest incident proves that trend still holds true.
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