“Keep your distance or you’ll be intercepted.” A US military jet was followed by a Chinese fighter jet

Fighters, warships and military bases. A CNN International team traveled aboard a US military fighter jet and there were several moments of alert and Chinese warnings

The US Navy spy plane was flying at 21,500 feet in the South China Sea, about 30 miles from the Paracel Islands, home to 130 small islands and reefs disputed between China, Taiwan and Vietnam and several Chinese military bases. was constructed. Without warning, the Chinese ultimatum appears: “US aircraft, this is PLA (People’s Liberation Army) air force. They are approaching Chinese airspace. Keep your safe distance or you will be blocked.

There was also a crew on board CNN International, which is accompanied by terrain reconnaissance. What followed were moments of tension, rare footage and a mirror of the current tension between China and the US.

Within minutes, a Chinese fighter jet equipped with surface-to-air missiles intercepted the American plane and positioned itself 150 meters from the left wing of the American plane.

The moment surprised a CNN journalist, who was struck by the close proximity between the vehicles, reporting that Beijing could see the pilots turning their heads to look at the US military, as well as the red star on the tail of the Chinese fighter jet. The missiles it carried.

The US responds, Lt. Nicky Slaughter salutes a two-engine, two-seat, two-pilot PLA plane: “PLA fighter, this is a US Navy P-8A. I’ve got you on my left wing and I want to go west. I suggest you do the same.

There was no response from the Chinese jet. The fighter escorted the American plane for 15 minutes before going off course.

Apart from the presence of the CNN crew and lenses, the incident was not unusual or surprising, mission commander Mark Hines explained: “I would say it’s just another Friday afternoon in the South China Sea”.

Same day, but new appointment. Now a warship

On Friday, another encounter, this time with a Chinese warship. While flying near the Philippines, a US Navy P-8 spotted a PLA guided missile destroyer. The Washington plane began its descent to 1,000 feet, the height at which the ship could be seen with the naked eye, and new warnings from the Beijing military followed: “The U.S. plane. Flight USA. It is a Chinese warship. You’re getting closer to me. Keep a safe distance.”

It is a PLA173 warship, a Changsha destroyer that can be armed with dozens of surface-to-air missiles.

“I am a US military aircraft and I will maintain a safe distance from your unit”, Lt Nicky Slaughter replied and the mission continued.

South China Sea: An area likely to escalate tensions between the US and China

In recent years, the South China Sea has emerged as one of the main flashpoints of rising tensions between China and the United States. The territory is the subject of contested territorial claims by China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

China considers it to have historical jurisdiction over the entire stretch of sea, and has been building small reefs and sandbars in the Paracel Islands, now fortified with missiles, landing strips and weapons systems, something the other “owners” don’t want. of the globe.

According to a CIA factbook, the Paracel Islands, named by Portuguese cartographers in the 16th century, have never had a native population and are now home to about 1,400 Chinese military personnel.

The US Navy insists these are routine missions. Washington justifies the continued operation of US aircraft and ships in areas where international law allows. However, Beijing opposes the US presence in the South China Sea and says this type of action is fueling tensions between the two countries.

Mar Hines, commander of the North American mission, explains that tensions on the ground are always lower when there is a dialogue. “Silence brings uncertainty,” says the soldier. Do you understand our purpose? Is it clear we meant no harm?