File Photo: Senior Colonel Wu Qian, deputy director of the Information Office of China’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) and spokesperson for the MND
BEIJING, May 20, (ChinaMil) — China’s defense ministry on Friday rejected US accusation on China’s “unprofessional” intercept of a US reconnaissance aircraft over the Yellow Sea and urged the US to stop such activities.
China’s Ministry of National Defense(MND) was asked on Friday to confirm and comment on the US media’s report that two Chinese SU-30 fighter jets intercepted a reconnaissance aircraft of the U.S. Air Force over the Yellow sea on May 17 and the nearest distance between the military planes of the two countries was about 46 meters.
Senior Colonel Wu Qian, deputy director of the Information Office of China’s MND and spokesperson for the MND, responded to the incident in a short statement on Friday night, stressing that “the US account did not accord with the facts. ”
Wu Qian said that an American reconnaissance aircraft was conducting surveillance activity over China’s Yellow Sea on May 17 and the Chinese military planes identified and verified the aircraft in accordance with laws and regulations. “The relevant action was professional and safe,” Wu said.
Wu pointed out that the frequent close-in reconnaissance activities against China by the US military vessels and aircraft are the root cause of military security problems between China and the United States at sea and in the air.
“We hope that the US side stops relevant reconnaissance activities, to avoid this kind of incident happening again,” Wu added.