A Chinese fighter jet flew dangerously within 20 feet (six meters) of a much larger US air force surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea, the US military said Thursday. In the December 21 incident, a Chinese Navy J-11 fighter pilot "performed an unsafe maneuver during an intercept of a US Air Force RC-135 aircraft," the US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement. The Chinese pilot flew in front of and within 20 feet of the nose of the US aircraft, "forcing the RC-135 to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision," it said.

US, Chinese jets in close encounter over SCS. (2022, December 31). Manila Bulletin, pp. 1, 7.