The pilots of the Chinese military SU-30 fighter jets were unprofessional due to their manoeuvres as well as their “speeds and proximity”, said US Pacific Air Forces spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Lori Hodge. Photo: Xinhua
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https://scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2095015/us-criticises-chinese-military-intercept-nuclear Diplomacy
US criticises Chinese military intercept of nuclear ‘sniffer’ jet
US says PLA pilots were ‘unprofessional’ in incident over East China Sea this week, but China points out US account ‘did not accord with the facts’
The United States military’s WC-135W Constant Phoenix aircraft, which can detect radiation emitted from a nuclear test. Photo: AP
PLA fighter jets intercepted a US Air Force nuclear test sniffer aircraft in the East China Sea this week in a manner the US military called “unprofessional”.
China rejected that view. The Defence Ministry said on Friday its aircraft acted safely and professionally after the intercept of a US aircraft flying in international air space.
The ministry, in a short statement, said the US account of the incident did “not accord with the facts”, and urged the United States to cease close-in surveillance flights.
Yet some Chinese analysts said the intercept could have been aimed at preventing a further escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula, as UN Security Council members consider whether to impose additional sanctions on Pyongyang over its recent missile tests.
On Wednesday, two Chinese SU-30 jets approached a WC-135 Constant Phoenix aircraft conducting a routine mission in international airspace in accordance with international law, Pacific Air Forces spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Lori Hodge said in a statement.
The WC-135 crew characterised the intercept as unprofessional “due to the manoeuvres by the Chinese pilots, as well as the speeds and proximity of both aircraft”, Hodge said.
She declined to provide further details and said the issue would be addressed with China through “appropriate diplomatic and military channels”.
“For a long time, US ships and aircraft have been carrying out close-up surveillance of China, which can really easily cause misunderstandings or misjudgments or cause unexpected incidents at sea or in the air,” Hua said.
“We hope that the US side can respect China’s reasonable security concerns.”
CNN cited a US official as saying the People’s Liberation Army jets came within 45 metres of the American aircraft, with one of the Su-30s flying in an inverted position directly over the US plane.
Zhou Chenming, from the Knowfar Institute for Strategic and Defence Studies think tank, said the Chinese pilot’s “barrel roll” flying was likely intended to deliver a “strong warning” to the US crew.
“China opposes all kinds of provocative moves by the US side, as the WC-135’s patrolling over the East China Sea will further intensify conflicts between Washington and Pyongyang,” Zhou said.
“The surveillance mission will only further irritate Pyongyang. What Beijing hopes is to stop provocative moves and sit down for peaceful dialogue.”
Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie said the WC-135 was deployed to Japan last month to monitor any nuclear weapons tests by North Korea.
Japanese news outlet Nikkei reported in April that two WC-135 were deployed by the Pentagon to the Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, to monitor nuclear tests by the North.
In a separate development, Japan scrambled fighter jets on Thursday after four Chinese coastguard vessels entered what Japan considers its territorial waters near disputed East China Sea islets and a drone-like object flew near one ship, Japan said.
It was the first such flight near the islands witnessed by Japanese officials, Japan’s coastguard said.
“This is escalating the situation and absolutely unacceptable,” Japanese Defence Minister Tomomi Inada told a news conference on Friday.
Hua said the drone had been released by “relevant media” for aerial photography.
With additional reporting by Reuters
Additional reporting by Reuters and Associated Press