Pentagon: Chinese jet performed 'aggressive' maneuver near US military aircraft

(Patria) - A Chinese fighter jet performed an "unnecessarily aggressive" maneuver near a US military aircraft over the South China Sea in international airspace, the United States said.

The US military command responsible for the Indo-Pacific stated that the maneuver by the Chinese J-16 aircraft occurred last week and forced the US RC-135 aircraft to fly through turbulence, Reuters reports.

"The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate – safely and responsibly, wherever international law allows," the statement said.

The footage shows a fighter jet passing in front of the nose of the American aircraft and the cockpit of the RC-135 shaking in turbulence. Chinese Embassy spokesperson in Washington Liu Pengyu did not comment on the specifics, but said that the United States has long been "frequently deploying reconnaissance aircraft and vessels close to China, which poses a serious threat to China's national security."

"China urges the US to stop such dangerous provocations and cease shifting blame to China," Liu said. He added that China "will continue to take necessary measures to resolutely defend its sovereignty and security, and will work with countries in the region to firmly protect peace and stability in the South China Sea."