Chinese state media highlights PLA role in intercepting foreign warplanes as activity in East and South China seas shows little sign of letting up

A recent state TV documentary showed footage of an incident believed to show a Chinese fighter jet shadowing a Japanese surveillance plane in the region

The US and allies from Asia and further afield have stepped up their activities in the region to challenge Chinese claims of sovereignty

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A Chinese documentary showed a jet shadowing a foreign plane. Photo: qq.com

Published: 12:00pm, 10 Oct 2022Updated: 12:10pm, 10 Oct 2022

Foreign military aircraft are expected to continue flying over Chinese-claimed waters in the East and South China seas, observers said after state media released details of a close encounter.

A documentary about the People’s Liberation Army aired by state broadcaster CCTV during the National Day holiday included a section about the role of navy pilots shadowing foreign planes.

A pilot told the programme: “In the East China Sea, there are often provocations from foreign military aircraft. In defence of sovereignty, we give tit-for-tat, and will never allow any reckless actions.”

The broadcaster also showed a brief clip of one close encounter, which military analysts believe showed a Chinese J-10 fighter and Japanese EP-3C surveillance plane over China’s Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the East China Sea.

“The EP-3C is cruising straight and level at medium altitude, about 7,500 metres [24,600ft] and the fighter is undertaking a careful intercept from the EP-3C’s stern quarter, both to get high quality imagery and not to startle the crew of the EP-3C and possibly cause an accident or an evasive manoeuvre,” said Peter Layton, a retired Australian air force officer and an associate fellow of the London-based Royal United Services Institute.

“Both aircraft are being flown professionally. China is just observing what is happening in the international airspace near China; it is not aggressive.”

Japan and China have long had sovereignty disputes in the East China Sea, where China set up the ADIZ covering most of the waters in 2013. The zone overlaps with Japan’s and includes the Japanese-held Diaoyu Islands, known as the Senkakus in Japan, which are also claimed by China.

In May, Japan said it scrambled fighter jets when Russian and Chinese bombers flew close to its airspace during the Quad Summit hosted in Tokyo with the United States, Australia, and India.