China intercepts US plane in South China Sea.

A Chinese fighter jet aggressively intercepted a U.S. aircraft earlier in the month, risking the lives of its crew and escalating tensions between the two nations.

“The RC-135 was conducting safe and routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace, in accordance with international law,” the Indo-Pacific Command statement said.

“The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate—safely and responsibly—wherever international law allows, and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Joint Force will continue to fly in international airspace with due regard for the safety of all vessels and aircraft under international law.”

The incident occurred on May 26, when a J-16 fighter pilot performed an unnecessarily aggressive maneuver against a U.S. RC-135 reconnaissance plane. The United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) released a statement on May 30, condemning the move and highlighting the long-running pattern of Chinese military aggression in the international airspace of the South China Sea.

“If Beijing’s intent is to somehow intimidate the United States out of operating according to international law, that hasn’t worked [and] it’s not going to work. But it is very reckless behavior.”

China’s communist regime and its military wing, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), have a history of aggressive intercepts against nations operating in the region. Ely Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, has warned that such behavior is “tempting a crisis that could have geopolitical and geoeconomic implications.”

PLA’s Dangerous Maneuvers

• PLA aircraft come within tens of feet of allied aircraft
• PLA aircraft release flares and chaff
• PLA aircraft perform dangerous maneuvers around aircraft

These maneuvers have succeeded in forcing U.S. and allied aircraft out of international airspace in some incidents. However, the United States remains committed to operating in accordance with international law and will not be intimidated by China’s reckless behavior.