Chinese Fighters Intercept U.S. Plane Over South China Sea
- Encounter in international airspace could further strain ties
- American plane forced to descend to avoid collision, AP says
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Two Chinese fighter jets intercepted a U.S. surveillance plane over international waters of the disputed South China Sea, an action that could strain already fraught relations between the U.S. and China.
The incident occurred Tuesday, when two Chinese aircraft intercepted in an “unsafe” manner a U.S. surveillance plane on a routine patrol in international airspace, the Pentagon said in a statement. The intercept occurred in the northern part of the sea, south of Hong Kong, the Associated Press reported, citing an unidentified official. Hong Kong is less than 500 kilometers from China’s southern Hainan Island, a gateway to the South China Sea and home to naval and submarine bases.