China hits back at US accusations of aircraft interception over South China Sea

Record ID: 102876

  • Title: China hits back at US accusations of aircraft interception over South China Sea
  • Date: 19th May 2016
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (MAY 19, 2016) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN HONG LEI WALKING IN FOR REGULAR BRIEFING MEDIA SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN HONG LEI SAYING: "It must be pointed out that U.S. military planes frequently carry out reconnaissance in Chinese coastal waters, seriously endangering Chinese maritime and air security. We demand that the United States immediately cease this type of close reconnaissance activity to avoid having this sort of incident happening again." BRIEFING IN PROGRESS EXTERIOR OF CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG FLYING
  • Embargoed: 3rd June 2016 11:25
  • Keywords: China US jets aircraft intercept reconnaisance South China Sea dispute
  • Location: BEIJING, CHINA
  • City: BEIJING, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0014IH3BYD
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: China's Foreign Ministry sent out a rebuke on Thursday (May 19) after the Pentagon said two Chinese fighter jets carried out an "unsafe" intercept of a U.S. military reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea.
    The incident, likely to increase tension in and around the contested waterway, took place in international airspace on Tuesday (May 17) as the U.S. maritime patrol aircraft carried out "a routine U.S. patrol," a Pentagon statement said.
    China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the U.S. statement was "not true" and that the aircraft had been engaging in reconnaissance close to China's island province of Hainan.
    It demanded that Washington end surveillance near China.
    "It must be pointed out that U.S. military planes frequently carry out reconnaissance in Chinese coastal waters, seriously endangering Chinese maritime and air security, We demand that the United States immediately cease this type of close reconnaissance activity to avoid having this sort of incident happening again," Hong told reporters at a regular press briefing.
    China's Defense Ministry said in a fax that it was looking into reports on the incident.
    The Pentagon has yet to release the precise location of the encounter.
    The encounter comes a week after China scrambled fighter jets as a U.S. Navy ship sailed close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea.
    China claims most of the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register