A Chinese jet came within 20 feet of a US warplane, the US military said

A Chinese fighter jet pilot “performed a dangerous maneuver” while close to a US Air Force aircraft, US officials said on Thursday.

US Indo-Pacific Command it said in a statement that the fighter pilot was flying in front of and within 20 feet of the nose of the RC-135 aircraft in which the US pilot was flying on December 21, 2022.

The American pilot was flying legally over the South China Sea, the command said, but was forced to “take evasive maneuvers” to avoid a collision. Neither pilot has been identified.

“The US Joint Indo-Pacific Force is dedicated to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and will continue to fly, sail and operate at sea and in international airspace with due regard for the safety of all vessels and aircraft under international law” , officials said. “We expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific region to use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law.”

Video of the incident was shared by the command, and the short clip shows the Chinese plane closing in on the American one before the pilot began evasive maneuvers.