Chinese fighter jet comes dangerously close to U.S. military jet Netanyahu’s right-wing religious government sworn into parliament

A Chinese fighter jet has come extremely close to a US plane over the South China Sea. According to the US military, the Chinese J-11 was only ten feet away. The RC-135, a relatively large reconnaissance aircraft with 30 people on board, had to perform an evasive manoeuvre.

A statement from the US Department of Defense said: “We expect all states in the Indo-Pacific region to comply with international aviation safety standards and with international law.” The Chinese pilot’s behavior was called an “unsafe maneuver”. Washington raised the issue with the government in Beijing. So far no response has been received. The United States Armed Forces Indo-Pacific Command conducts regular patrols of international airspace in the region.

The South China Sea is considered its territory by Beijing, but the US does not recognize it. Some riparian states, notably the Philippines and Vietnam, have also filed claims and designated their own economic zones. Important shipping routes run through the sea, there are natural gas reserves and fishing grounds. China has now set up military bases on some islands.

In May there was already a similar incident involving an Australian military aircraft. At that time, a Chinese fighter jet sat in front of the plane and dropped aluminum strips. These are actually used to deflect heat-guided missiles. Some of the fragments apparently flew into the engine, Reuters news agency reports.

Tensions between the US and China have increased mainly because of the conflict in Taiwan. Chinese planes always appear in the airspace of the island when viewed from Beijing as part of China. The US sent naval units to the region. In addition, senior US politician Nancy Pelosi visited the country to show Washington’s support for the Taipei government. At the same time, diplomatic efforts are being made to prevent the conflict from escalating. At a meeting in Cambodia, Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe warned his US counterpart Lloyd Austin that Taiwan was a “red line”. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to China early next year.