China on Thursday urged the U.S. to stop close-in reconnaissance missions following U.S. claims two Chinese fighter jets carried out an "unsafe" intercept of a U.S. military aircraft over the South China Sea.
"The two Chinese military aircraft followed and monitored the U.S. plane from a safe distance without taking any dangerous actions. Their operation was completely in keeping with safety and professional standards," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei told reporters at a regular briefing.
Reuters reported two Chinese fighter jets carried out an "unsafe" interception of a U.S. military reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea in international airspace on Tuesday, as the U.S. maritime patrol aircraft carried out "a routine U.S. patrol," the Pentagon said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Pentagon statement said the Department of Defense was addressing the issue through military and diplomatic channels. It has yet to release the precise location of the encounter, Reuters reported.
"We have noted the related media report. Judging from the report, it is highly possible that it is linked to U.S. military aircraft close-in reconnaissance," the Chinese defense ministry told the Global Times on Thursday.
It must be pointed out that U.S. military vessels and aircraft frequently carried out reconnaissance missions in Chinese coastal waters, seriously endangering Chinese maritime and airspace security, Hong said.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed in February that demilitarization in the South China Sea should be jointly achieved by all parties.
Similar close-in reconnaissance was reported on August 19, 2014 when a P-3 anti-submarine aircraft and a P-8 patrol aircraft from the U.S. navy flew about 220 kilometers east of South China's Hainan Island.
A Chinese J-11 fighter jet carried out routine identification and verification over the two naval planes, which China's defense ministry said was "professional" and had kept a safe distance, slamming U.S. accusations that the intercept was "dangerous and unprofessional."
The U.S. destroyer USS William P. Lawrence sailed near Yongshu Reef in the Nansha Islands on May 10, to which China has expressed its "resolute opposition."
