Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of US bomber, Pentagon says

A Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of a U.S. B-52 bomber that was conducting legal, routine operations over the South China Sea, according to a statement late Thursday from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

U.S. officials said they were they were “concerned this pilot was unaware of how close he came to causing a collision.”

This was just the latest of more than 180 incidents that the Defense Department (DOD) describes as “unsafe” and “unprofessional” between the two nations since fall 2021. The DOD says these incidents have also included “other behaviors that seek to impinge upon the ability of the United States and other nations to safely conduct operations where international law allows.”

During the night intercept, the Chinese pilot was flying in limited visibility conditions “in a manner contrary to international air safety rules and norms,” according to the statement.

“Military aircraft,” the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command added, “when intentionally approaching another, shall operate with professional airmanship and give due regard for the safety of other aircraft.”

China blamed the U.S. for the incident in its own statement, claiming the United States was trying to provoke the eastern Asian nation, which claims most of the South China Sea as its own territory.

The United States and other countries have pushed back on this claim. In the United States’s statement, officials described the area as “international airspace.”

“The U.S. military planes traveled thousands of miles to China’s doorstep to flex muscle,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, according to The Associated Press. “That is the source of maritime and air security risks, and is not conducive to regional peace and stability.”