Top naval officer slams US claims against Chinese pilots

China's top navy commander recently slammed again previous US accusations that Chinese pilots were being unprofessional while intercepting US reconnaissance aircraft.

He stressed that China definitely wants to avoid air collisions such as the tragedy in which a Chinese pilot was killed in 2001.

Admiral Wu Shengli, commander of the People's Liberation Army navy, said that as long as the US continues to task reconnaissance planes near Chinese territory, China will keep identifying and intercepting as they would for any foreign aircraft.

Wu was invited by US Chief of Naval Operations Jonathan Greenert to attend an international seminar on ocean powers in Newport, Rhode Island from Tuesday to Friday.

Wu stressed that "China does not want a second collision and will never sacrifice a second Wang Wei," referring to the pilot who died after a mid-air collision with a US aircraft around 110 kilometers from South China's Hainan Province on April 1, 2001, Phoenix Satellite TV reported.

A US Navy P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft was intercepted by an armed Chinese fighter jet on August 19 near the East China Sea, which the US claimed was on a routine mission.

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby later called the intercept "unsafe and unprofessional" on August 22.

While meeting with senior US military officials, Wu said that the US accusation was groundless and again demanded concrete evidence.

Shen Dingli, a scholar of American Studies at Fudan University, said Wu's statement signaled China's unchanging political determination, but also showed increasing responsibility in improving the Sino-US relationship with principle and sincerity.

He added that the US should also work out the issue based on cooperation.