China Confronts International Patrol Aircraft Over the South China Sea

A Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of the wing of an American reconnaissance aircraft forcing it to take evasive maneuvers to avoid collision over the South China Sea, the United States military reported on December 29. The incident occurred on December 21 and was the latest of multiple aggressive confrontations by Chinese pilots toward Western patrol aircraft in 2022.

February: The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy shone a military-grade laser at an Australian surveillance aircraft on February 17 near Australia’s exclusive economic zone in the Arafura Sea.

April–May: From April 26 to May 26, the Royal Canadian Air Force had multiple encounters with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force while monitoring North Korean sanction evasions at sea. On multiple occasions, the Canadians were forced to alter their flight paths to avoid collision.

A Chinese fighter jet also intercepted an Australian maritime surveillance aircraft on May 26 in the international airspace of the South China Sea. The Chinese J-16 jet flew close to the surveillance plane, released flares, and then accelerated in front of the plane, cutting across its nose. The Chinese jet then released a bundle of chaff containing aluminum that lodged in the engine of the Australian aircraft.

Disruption of “peace”: China claims that the presence of America and its allies in the South China Sea is a disruption of peace in the region. But it is the Chinese that are illegally taking over the area and destabalizing it with reckless provocations. China wants to gain control over every square inch of the South China Sea because its rich fishing grounds, gas fields and, most importantly, how crucial it is to world trade.

Learn more: Read “China Is Steering the World Toward War.”