TRACEd By Chinese Combat Jets Up To A Distance Of Three Meters In The South China Sea, US Reconnaissance Aircraft Do Manuver Avoid Collision

J-11 China fighter jet. (Wikimedia Commons/Ministry of National Defense)

JAKARTA - A Chinese military plane arrived within 10 feet (3 meters) of a US Air Force aircraft in the contested South China Sea last week, forcing it to maneuver evaded to avoid collisions in international airspace, the US military said on Thursday.

The'meeting' of close range in the air followed what the United States called a recent trend of increasingly dangerous behavior by Chinese military aircraft.

The incident, which involved a Chinese Navy J-11 fighter jet and a US Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, took place on December 21, the US military said in a statement.

"We hope that all countries in the Indo-Pacific region use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law," the US military said.

A US military spokesman said the Chinese jet came within 10 feet of the plane's wing, but 20 feet from its nose, causing the US aircraft to maneuver past.

"It was an unsafe maneuver," US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement, citing Defense News.

The command also said the RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft was in international airspace at the time, carrying out "routine operations".

"The US Indo-Pacific Joint Force is dedicated to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and will continue to fly, sail and operate in the sea and in international airspace taking into account the safety of all ships and aircraft under international law," the command continued.

The United States has raised the issue with the Chinese government, a US official said separately.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington DC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the past, China said that the United States sent ships and planes to the South China Sea not good for peace.

US military aircraft and ships routinely carry out surveillance operations and travel through the region.

It is known, China claims most of the South China Sea overlapping with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Dalam pertemuan dengan timpalnya dari China pada Bulan November, Menteri Pertahanan AS Lloyd Austin menyampaikan perlunya meningkatkan komunikasi krisis, dan juga mencatat apa yang disebutnya beraksi berbahaya oleh pesawat militer China.