Кинески ловец делувал „непотребно агресивно“ во близина на американски авион над Јужното Кинеско Море, велат властите

Горна линија

The pilot of a Chinese fighter jet carried out an “unnecessarily aggressive maneuver” last week while approaching a U.S. Air Force plane over the South China Sea, American officials said Tuesday, as tensions rise over China’s territorial claims in east Asia.

Клучни факти

The pilot of the J-16 Chinese fighter jet “flew directly in front of the nose” of an American RC-135 aircraft, which is designed for reconnaissance, according to a statement from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which also released video of the incident.

The U.S. said its plane “was conducting safe and routine operations” as it moved through “international airspace” in the South China Sea.

China has not publicly addressed the incident, which took place Friday, but it has long claimed sovereignty over the South China Sea, leading to disputes with the likes of the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Клучен цитат

“We expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific region to use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law,” Indo-Pacific Command said.

Главна позадина

Tensions between the U.S. and China have significantly risen over the past few months, in large part due to a suspected Chinese spy balloon that hovered across the continental U.S. in February—which Beijing claimed was unintentional. Beijing has also been repeatedly irked by top American officials, like House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), meeting with Taiwan’s leaders. China has recently carried out military operations near the island—which it claims as its territory—stating last month its “troops are ready to fight at all times and can fight at any time to resolutely smash any form of ‘Taiwan independence.’”

тангента

Microsoft announced last week it discovered Chinese state-sponsored hacker Volt Typhoon carried out an attack targeting infrastructure on Guam, the westernmost U.S. territory. The attack sparked particular concern since Guam is considered critical to a U.S. response should a military conflict take place in Taiwan.

Дополнителни информации

Microsoft Says China Hackers Targeted ‘Critical’ U.S. Infrastructure In Guam—A Key Military Asset In The Pacific (Forbes)

Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon Hovering Over U.S., Pentagon Says (Forbes)

Pelosi Says U.S. Is Determined To ‘Preserve Democracy’ As She Meets Taiwanese President (Forbes)

House Speaker McCarthy Meets With Taiwanese President As China Threatens To ‘Fight Back’ (Forbes)