On Wednesday, Beijing retaliated against U.S. accusations regarding a Chinese fighter jet’s “unnecessarily aggressive maneuver” during the interception of a U.S. Air Force plane last week. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command stated that the Chinese fighter flew directly in front of the American RC-135 over the South China Sea, compelling the U.S. aircraft to navigate through its wake turbulence.
In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, during a press briefing, called for an end to U.S. reconnaissance flights and reiterated China’s commitment to safeguarding its sovereignty. Mao stated, “The U.S. should immediately cease these perilous provocations.” China lays claim to nearly the entire South China Sea, although international recognition of such claims is absent. China’s state-controlled Global Times newspaper, citing an anonymous “military expert,” likened the U.S. to a “thief crying ‘stop thief.'” The unnamed expert remarked, “If someone persistently loiters on your doorstep, maliciously taking photographs all the time, it is not your fault if you make them leave.”
