“U.S. Plane Intercepted by Chinese Fighter Jet in South China Sea Dispute”
Recently, an American P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was intercepted by a Chinese J-11 fighter jet. The fighter jet was armed with air-to-air missiles, and flew beside the American plane for over an hour as they passed over mostly uninhabited islands that are claimed by both China and its neighbors. This incident highlights the ongoing territorial dispute between China and its neighbors in the South China Sea.
China has the world’s largest navy, and has claimed historic jurisdiction over almost the entirety of the South China Sea.[0] In 2016, an international tribunal ruled that China’s claims had no legal basis, but China has continued to assert its sovereignty. In the last few years, China has built up tiny reefs and sandbars into artificial islands heavily fortified with missiles, runways and weapons systems, sparking outcry from other countries in the region with which it has territorial disputes.[0]
According to Cmdr. Mark Hines, who was on board the U.S. aircraft, there has been a dramatic change in the South China Sea since he joined the Navy 18-19 years ago.[1] He noted that the buildup of runways and hangars is “typical now but it wasn’t necessarily the case” when he first joined the Navy.[1]
It remains to be seen how this ongoing territorial dispute will be resolved, and the presence of a Chinese fighter jet intercepting a U.S. plane is a reminder of the tensions in the region.
0. “Chinese fighter jet confronts US Navy plane with CNN crew aboard as tensions simmer in South China Sea” WTHITV.com, 24 Feb. 2023, https://www.wthitv.com/news/chinese-fighter-jet-confronts-us-navy-plane-with-cnn-crew-aboard-as-tensions-simmer-in/article_e4cf27c6-c3a6-500a-8a1b-6d952aa398e3.html
1. “Chinese fighter jet flies within 500 feet of U.S. patrol over South China Sea” NBC News, 24 Feb. 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/south-china-sea-us-patrol-chinese-fighter-jet-philippines-taiwan-rcna71922
