A Chinese fighter jet recently conducted a dangerous intercept of a US Navy reconnaissance plane when it was flying in international airspace. The Pentagon has called the action unsafe and unprofessional in a formal complaint. This is the 2nd complaint US diplomats have filed with the Chinese government in recent months while there have been a total of four of these incidents since March. The White House has called the incident a deeply concerning provocation. Whats worse, many of these incidents seem to be the work of the same military unit which operates out of Hainan Island and the actions appear to be calculated shows of force. The Chinese jet apparently did a barrel roll maneuver over the top of our reconnaissance plane - a move designed to expose the belly of the Chinese fighter jet to view so we could see that the Chinese plane was armed. Such actions are not only reckless, increasing the likelihood of an accidental collision, but also indicate that many in the Chinese military view the United States as an adversary who needs to be threatened for them to get their way instead of proceeding through traditional diplomatic channels.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 23:42:33 +0000
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