Chinese J-11 fighter jet with four air-to-air missiles chased US P-8A Poseidon aircraft with Wall Street Journal journalists on board

In late February, a J-11 fighter aircraft of the People's Liberation Army of China flew for about an hour following a US P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft. The incident took place in the skies over the South China Sea.

Here's What We Know

A J-11 fighter jet armed with four air-to-air missiles flew within a few dozen metres of the P-8A Poseidon. The Boeing crew received a message from the ground station. People's Liberation Army officials warned that the Poseidon was approaching Chinese airspace and demanded it keep a safe distance.

US officials have said that such incidents have been occurring with increasing frequency recently. For example, late last year, a J-11 flew within a few metres of a US RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft. China, for its part, accuses the US of spying with patrol planes over the South China Sea. Beijing has set up military bases on artificial islands in the region, leading to confrontation with other nations.

US planes regularly fly over the South China Sea. One of the challenges is fixing the militarisation of the artificial islands. At the time of the J-11 incident, Wall Street Journal journalists were aboard the P-8A Poseidon. The crew was using cameras and radar to monitor ships and objects on the islands.

The J-11 approached the Poseidon a few dozen miles north of the Paracel Islands, claimed by China and Vietnam. The P-8A crew replied that it was in international airspace. A no-go warning then came from the Chinese ground station.

The P-8A skirted the islands to the south and headed further across the South China Sea. When the aircraft left the area of the Paracel Islands, the Chinese J-11 fighter ceased its pursuit. China's Foreign Ministry made no comment on the incident and the Poseidon flew over two military destroyers and landed on the Japanese island of Okinawa.

Source: WSJ