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China rejects US claim of unsafe aerial intercept
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An FA-18 jet fighter lands on the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier in the South China Sea while US Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited the aircraft carrier during a trip to the region, April 15. (AP/Lolita C. Baldor)
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div>China has rejected US claims that its warplanes maneuvered unsafely when they intercepted an American Navy reconnaissance plane over the South China Sea.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told journalists Thursday that the Chinese jets monitored the US plane from an acceptable distance and operated in a safe and professional manner.
Hong said China urged the US to cease such surveillance missions, which he said endangered Chinese security in the air and sea.
The Pentagon said two Chinese J-11 fighters flew within about 15 meters (50 feet) of the EP-3 Aries on Tuesday, forcing the US pilot to descend sharply to avoid a collision. It said the US plane was conducting routine operations in international airspace.
It characterized the incident as an unsafe intercept and said it is being reviewed.
