The US said that a Chinese fighter aircraft pulled a dangerous maneuver as it intercepted a US military patrol plane over international waters east of China's Hainan Island.
According to the BBC, spokesman John Kirby said that the US had protested to the Chinese military over the mid-air intercept, calling the fighter pilot's actions "unsafe and unprofessional".
Kirby said that the Chinese pilot came within 10 meters of the US Navy plane.
Rear Admiral Kirby said that the US has registered strong concerns to the Chinese about the unsafe and unprofessional intercept, which posed a risk to the safety and the well being of the aircrew, and was inconsistent with customary international law.
He said that the incident happened on Tuesday when an armed Chinese Su-27 fighter intercepted a US Navy P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft that was on a routine mission, the report added.