US Indo-Pacific Command Public AffairsThe Chinese fighter jet came within three meters of the B-52, according to the US
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 00:41
The US military says a Chinese warplane came too close to an American B-52 fighter plane on Tuesday. According to the Americans, the Chinese aircraft flew within three meters of the B-52 bomber. This happened during “routine operations” over the South China Sea in international airspace, the army reported also images of the action has been made public.
“The Chinese pilot flew unsafely and unprofessionally and displayed poor airmanship by flying uncontrollably at high speeds, under, in front of and close to the B-52,” the Americans said. “As a result, the planes were in danger of colliding with each other.” The Indo-Pacific Command said it was concerned that the pilot did not realize “how close he was to causing a collision.”
Earlier this month, the US Defense Department said Chinese warplanes have flown close to US fighters about 200 times since 2021. But according to Beijing, Washington is smearing the Chinese in this way and that the Americans have “political ulterior motives” in doing so.
Tense situation
The relationship between the US and China has been tense for some time, partly due to the trade conflict between the countries, human rights issues and the war in Ukraine. There is also the situation surrounding Taiwan, which China sees as a renegade province, and the geopolitical battle over the South China Sea. China claims large parts of the area, but other countries in the area also claim it. The sea is one of the busiest trade routes in the world.
China and the US do maintain contact with each other. Yesterday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi began a three-day visit to the US. He will speak there with Minister Blinken (Foreign Affairs), among others. Presidents Biden and Xi are also expected to meet at a later date.
2023-10-26 22:41:28
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