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| P-8A Poseidon (Image: Wiki Commons) |
By Zachary Keck
China blamed the U.S. for what Washington called a “dangerous intercept” of one of its spy planes.
On Saturday China’s Defense Ministry rejected America’s complaint about a “dangerous” jet intercept as “totally groundless.”
As The Diplomat previously reported, on Friday the Pentagon revealed that there had been a close encounter between a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft and a Chinese military jet earlier in the week. The Pentagon had said that the Chinese jet’s intercept was “dangerous” and “unprofessional, it’s unsafe, and it is certainly not keeping with the kind of military-to-military relationship” the U.S. is hoping to build with the People’s Liberation Army. The Pentagon further revealed that it had filed an official complaint with China over the incident.
Yang Yujun, a spokesperson for China’s Defense Ministry, was quoted by Chinese state media outlets on Saturday as saying America’s complaint is “totally groundless.” The reports also noted that Yang said the Chinese pilot had acted completely professionally and maintained a safe distance from the P-8 Poseidon.
Read the full story at The Diplomat