China accuses US of 'misleading public' in S. China Sea jet incident

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
2 Jan 00:07
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A spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry accuses the US of "slander" and "hype" in a near-collision incident between two jets over the South China Sea.

China says a US reconnaissance aircraft violated international law over the South China Sea (Reuters)

The Chinese Defense Ministry accused the US of "slander" and "hype" after it violated international law and confronted a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea.

On December 29, 2022, the United States military claimed in a statement that the Chinese J-11 fighter jet had come within 6 meters of a US RC-135 aircraft, forcing it to carry out a maneuver to evade a collision.

However, Tian Julin, the spokesperson for the Chinese MoD, said the US Indo-Pacific Command twisted the facts surrounding the incident. Tian noted that it was the US plane that carried out "dangerous maneuvers" in the face of the Chinese jet

Tian explained that the US aircraft purposefully conducted close-in reconnaissance over China's southern coast when the People's Liberation Army dispatched fighter jets to track and monitor it.

Despite several warnings from the Chinese side, the US aircraft abruptly changed its flying position in a “dangerous approach movement, which seriously compromised the flight safety of the Chinese military aircraft,” he confirmed.

The MoD also published a video of the event showing the US plane maneuvering toward the Chinese flight, as per the Ministry.

"The US deliberately misleads public opinion... in an attempt to confuse the international audience," the spokesperson remarked.

In that context, the MoD stated through its spokesperson that "we solemnly request the US side to restrain the actions of frontline naval and air forces, strictly abide by related international laws and agreements, and prevent accidents in the sea and the air.”