US says Chinese intercept could have caused air collision
The U.S. military says a Chinese fighter jet flew dangerously close to an Air Force reconnaissance plane over the South China Sea, forcing the American pilot to maneuver to avoid a collision BEIJING -- The U.S. military says a Chinese fighter jet flew dangerously close to an Air Force plane over the South China Sea, forcing the American pilot to maneuver to avoid a collision. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement Thursday that the incident occurred Dec. 21 when the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy J-11 flew in front of and within 6 meters (20 feet) of the nose of an RC-135, a type of large reconnaissance plane operated by the U.S. Air Force. The U.S. plane was “lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace,” the statement said. Its pilot was forced to “take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision." China frequently challenges military aircraft from the U.S. and its allies, especially over the strategically vital S...