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Today there were dueling press releases from the US and China in which each country accused the other of unprofessional conduct in the South China Sea. This argument really began on Oct. 17, when the US DOD released declassified photos and videos showing Chinese jets intercepting US aircraft in international airspace. The point of this release was to highlight the PLA’s increasingly risky behavior in the South China Sea [emphasis added]:
The Department of Defense today released a collection of declassified images and videos depicting 15 recent cases of coercive and risky operational behavior by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) against U.S. aircraft operating lawfully in international airspace in the East and South China Sea regions. Ahead of the anticipated release of the congressionally-mandated 2023 Report on Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China, or “China Military Power Report (CMPR),” the images and videos published by the Department underscore key findings in the forthcoming document about an increasing trend of coercive and risky operational behavior by the PLA since the fall of 2021.
What follows is a rundown of the dates of each incident along with a description and photos. Here are a few of the images:
September 21, 2023: A video newly released by the Department captures a PLA fighter jet conducting a coercive and risky intercept against a lawfully operating U.S. asset in the South China Sea, including by approaching a distance of just 50 feet from the U.S. plane.
