The US military has said a Chinese plane came “dangerously” close to a US bomber earlier this week over the South China Sea, part of what Washington has said is increasingly risky behavior by the US. Chinese military aircraft. Specifically, the US military has assured that the events occurred on Tuesday, when a Chinese J-11 aircraft approached within 10 feet (3 meters) of the B-52 aircraft.

“During the night intercept, the pilot of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) flew in an unsafe and unprofessional mannerdemonstrated poor flying ability by approaching at an excessive and uncontrolled speed, flying below, in front of and 10 feet from the B-52, putting both aircraft in danger of collision,” a US military statement said. “We are concerned that this pilot did not aware of how close he came to causing a collision,” they said from the Pentagon.

Earlier this month, the Pentagon had claimed that some Chinese military aircraft have carried out nearly 200 dangerous maneuvers near US aircraft. since 2021.

Last week, China’s Defense Ministry said the fact that the Pentagon accused its military of air interceptions “risky and coercive” It was a premeditated smear against China with hidden political motives.

Relations between China and the United States have been tense, with friction between the world’s two largest economies over everything, from the human rights record of Taiwan and China until its military activity in the South China Sea. However, Washington has been eager to revive military-to-military communications with China.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi began a long-awaited visit to Washington on Thursday, as the United States and China seek to manage deep strategic differences and pave the way for a long-awaited summit between President Joe Biden and his counterpart Xi Jinping.