US, Chinese military aircraft see close encounter over South China Sea

Flyers pass each other as US keeps watch over hotly contested region

The US Pacific Command today said a Chinese jet and a US Navy patrol plane had an "unsafe" encounter over the South China Sea this week, raising concerns.

Pacific Command spokesperson Robert Shuford said that the "interaction" between a Chinese KJ-200 early warning aircraft and a US Navy P-3C plane took place on Wednesday in international airspace over the waters. He did not say what was unsafe about the encounter.

Shuford says the US plane was on a routine mission and operating according to international law.

He said the Department of Defence and the Pacific Command "are always concerned about unsafe interactions with Chinese military forces."
 
The Chinese defence ministry has not responded to a faxed request for comment.