SOUTH CHINA SEA
China rejects Pentagon claim of ‘unsafe’ aircraft interception
Tension between the two countries has risen over the disputed South China Sea which China claims almost in full
Beijing — China has denied the Pentagon’s charge that an encounter between Chinese fighters and a US surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea was "unsafe and unprofessional". Tension between the two countries has risen in recent years over the disputed waterway, which China claims almost in full despite counterclaims from other Asian nations. Chinese J-10 warplanes intercepted a US Navy P-3 that was operating in international airspace on Wednesday, according to Pentagon spokesman Gary Ross. The US called the move "unsafe and unprofessional" and pledged to convey its concerns to the Chinese government. But on Sunday, the Chinese defence ministry said the Pentagon’s account of the incident "was not in accordance with the facts". "On May 25, a US patrol plane carried out reconnaissance activities in the airspace southeast of Hong Kong, China," it said in a statement on its website. AFP
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