Moment Chinese fighter jet nearly collides with US bomber over South China Sea, latest example of ‘increasingly risky behavior’ by country’s planes

The US military has revealed that a Chinese plane came dangerously close to a US bomber over the South China Sea earlier this week.

The revelation, which the US Indo-Pacific Command made in a statement on Thursday, comes as part of what US officials have described as increasingly risky behavior by Chinese military aircraft.

The US military blasted both the pilot and the maneuver, saying it unnecessarily endangered both pilots – citing footage showing the Chinese J-11 plane coming within 10 feet of the B-52 plane on Tuesday comes.

Officials also said the U.S. Air Force B-52 had been lawfully conducting routine missions over international waters in the South China Sea when the identified Chinese aircraft approached “at excessive speed.”

The PRC pilot then “flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner, demonstrating poor airmanship by… flying under, in front of, and within 10 feet of the B-52, placing both aircraft at risk of collision,” the pilot said. statement said.

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“We are concerned that this pilot was not aware of how close he was to causing a collision,” officials said – indicating the incident was likely an accident.

Earlier this month, the Pentagon said Chinese military aircraft have carried out maneuvers near US aircraft nearly 200 times since 2021, fueling already heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington.

Just last week, China’s Defense Ministry shot back at these claims, insisting in a statement that the Pentagon’s criticism of its air intercepts was a premeditated slander against China — a slander with ulterior motives.

Relations between China and the United States are already tense, and the recent close calls have not helped.

Friction between the world’s two largest economies — over everything from Taiwan and China’s human rights records to military activities in the South China Sea — has threatened to end the two countries’ stormy relationship altogether , and several wars currently raging abroad have added to the unrest.

That said, Washington has still expressed a desire to revive military-to-military communications with China.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi began a long-awaited visit to Washington on Thursday as the US and China try to manage deep strategic differences and pave the way for an expected summit between President Joe Biden and his counterpart Xi Jinping.

Yesterday, during a dinner at the White House, Biden warned visiting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Anthony Albanese to be careful about trusting China – as Australia also seeks to repair relations with the communist nation.

The president made the comments this week during Albanese’s visit to Washington DC, days before the prime minister visits Beijing.

Biden was asked at a joint news conference with Albanese whether he thought Australia should trust China, given its history with economic sanctions, cyber attacks, surveillance and human rights abuses.

“Trust but verify is the expression,” the president responded.

“China currently has its own internal and external problems.

“China’s economic growth is stagnant compared to what it was. China has engaged in activities that Russia and many others have also engaged in, in terms of intimidation with other countries.”

Biden also warned China about the recent harassment of Philippine ships in the South China Sea.

“Any attack on Philippine aircraft, ships or forces will invoke our mutual defense treaty with the Philippines,” he said.

‘I want to be very clear. The United States’ defense commitments to the Philippines are rock solid.”

In 2021, President Biden established a trilateral security alliance called AUKUS involving Australia and Britain.

This partnership will allow the United States to supply Australia with nuclear technology, which will be used to power traditionally armed Australian submarines.

President Biden said he was “confident” that Congress would fund AUKUS.

“It’s overwhelmingly in our best interest,” he said.”

“When we closed the deal, I was asked by Xi Jinping if we were just trying to encircle China. I said, ‘No, we are not surrounding China. We just ensure that the shipping routes remain open.’

“He can’t unilaterally change the rules of the road when it comes to what international airspace and waterspace means and so on. And that’s what it’s all about.’

Earlier in the visit, Biden said the Chinese leader had asked him why the US was “working so hard” with Australia.

“I said, ‘because we are a Pacific nation,’” President Biden said.

‘We are, and we will remain so.’