US urged to scale back surveillance

Spying activities more 'provocative'

China's defense ministry has urged the US to reduce and gradually stop its short-range reconnaissance activities against China, following a Pentagon complaint that a Chinese fighter jet conducted a dangerous intercept of a US jet.

Yang Yujun, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said Saturday that a P-3 anti-submarine aircraft and a P-8 patrol aircraft from the US Navy flew into airspace about 220 kilometers east of Hainan Island on Tuesday morning for short-range reconnaissance.

A Chinese J-11 fighter jet then carried out routine identification and verification over the two naval planes, Yang said.

Pentagon spokesperson Rear Admiral John Kirby Friday accused the Chinese jet of performing an "unsafe and unprofessional intercept," and claimed that the closest distance between the wingtips was nine meters.

He said the intercept posed a risk to the safety of the air crew and was inconsistent with customary international law.

Yang dismissed Kirby's accusation, saying it was "totally groundless." During the identification and verification, the relevant operations made by the Chinese pilot were professional and the Chinese jet kept a safe distance from the US planes, he said.

Yang said that US massive and frequent short-range surveillance of China is the root cause of accidents and endangers maritime and air military security between China and the US.

Yang said that the US should adopt practical measures to reduce and eventually stop its reconnaissance activities against China, so as to create a good environment for the development of bilateral military relations.

While surveillance of China by US military aircraft has been a major barrier for China-US military ties, analysts said it is rare for Chinese authorities to urge Washington to stop such activities so strongly and directly.

China displayed a tougher attitude toward the US surveillance than it had previously, said Jin Canrong, an associate dean of the School of International Studies at the Renmin University of China.

Jin said the reason is not only that China is stronger in terms of military power, but also that the US short-range reconnaissance missions have been too frequent and provocative.

According to Kirby, the Chinese warplane flew close to the US patrol aircraft three times: flying above, underneath and alongside it. At one point when approaching the P-8, the Chinese J-11 performed "a barrel roll" which Kirby said was showing its weapons load.

"They are just standard movements for warplanes to drive away other planes and the US should not exaggerate the purpose of such moves, which are frequently adopted by pilots around the world," a senior colonel and top test pilot told the Global Times on condition of anonymity.

Tuesday's incident reminded people of the collision between a Chinese fighter jet and a US Navy EP-3 surveillance plane near Hainan Island in 2001, in which the Chinese pilot was killed.

That 2001 collision occurred when the Chinese airplane patrolled 100 kilometers away from Hainan Island while this time the Chinese plane went out further to patrol some 200 kilometers away, said the test pilot. "Our precautionary area has apparently expanded and there will be more frictions if the US fails to stop the surveillance activities."

But he insisted that China's defense of its territorial waters and airspace is "very restrained," and it has never taken any aggressive conduct against other countries during the process.

"The US is trying to play a bigger role in 'balancing' the Asia-Pacific region by making more noises. Similar complaints against China will make other Asian countries think the US is needed in the region to counter China," said Li Haidong, an associate professor at China Foreign Affairs University.

Li said that the complaint by the US would make the situation in the region more complicated.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to meet his US counterpart Barack Obama at APEC meetings in November in Beijing. Li said hyping the military frictions between the two powers before the summit may influence the meeting's agenda.