US military complains of unsafe, aggressive move by Chinese fighter jet

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military says a Chinese fighter jet flew aggressively close to a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea, forcing the American pilot to fly through the turbulent wake. In a statement, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command says the Chinese J-16 fighter pilot “flew directly in front of the nose of the RC-135,” which was conducting routine operations in international airspace last Friday. It called the Chinese move an unnecessarily aggressive maneuver. U.S. military leaders have complained that China’s military has become significantly more aggressive over the past five years, intercepting U.S. aircraft and ships in the region.