US says Chinese jet carried out aggressive manoeuvre near Air Force plane

J-16 forced American aircraft to 'fly through its wake turbulence'

A J-16 fighter pilot from China flies in front of the nose of a US Air Force RC-135 aircraft over the South China Sea. AFP

A Chinese J-16 fighter jet performed an “unnecessarily aggressive” manoeuvre when intercepting a US Air Force RC-135 aircraft, the US said on Tuesday.

The Chinese jet “flew directly in front of the nose of the RC-135, forcing the US aircraft to fly through its wake turbulence”, said the US Indo-Pacific Command.

“The RC-135 was conducting safe and routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace, in accordance with international law,” it added.

The command shared on its website and social channels a video showing the jet passing in front of the US plane's nose, with the RC-135 shaking in the turbulence.

“A People’s Republic of China J-16 fighter pilot performed an unnecessarily aggressive manoeuvre during the intercept,” it said.

It added that the US would “continue to fly, sail, and operate – safely and responsibly” – wherever international law allows.

“We expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific region to use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law,” the command said.

Liu Pengyu, spokesman for Beijing's embassy in Washington, said the US had “frequently deployed aircraft and vessels for close-in reconnaissance on China, which poses a serious danger to China’s national security”.

“China urges the US to stop such dangerous provocations, and stop deflecting blame on China,” he said.

He said China would “continue to take necessary measures to resolutely defend its sovereignty and security, and work with regional countries to firmly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea”.

The encounter took place before China turned down a request by US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to meet on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue Asian security summit in Singapore this week.

“Overnight, the PRC informed the US that they have declined our early May invitation for Secretary Austin to meet with PRC Minister of National Defence Li Shangfu in Singapore this week,” Pentagon spokesman Brig Gen Pat Ryder said.

“The PRC's concerning unwillingness to engage in meaningful military-to-military discussions will not diminish (the Pentagon's) commitment to seeking open lines of communication with the People's Liberation Army.”

A senior US defence official said that since 2021, China had declined or not responded to more than 12 requests to talk with the Pentagon.

In December, a Chinese military plane came within three metres of a US Air Force aircraft and forced it to take evasive manoeuvres to avoid a collision in international airspace.

Agencies contributed to this report