A Chinese fighter jet came within 10 feet of a US Air Force B-52 bomber flying over the South China Sea on Tuesday, according to the US military.
The Chinese pilot “flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner, demonstrated poor airmanship by closing with uncontrolled excessive speed, flying below, in front of, and within 10 feet of the B-52, putting both aircraft in danger of collision,” US Indo-Pacific Command said in a Thursday statement. “We are concerned this pilot was unaware of how close he came to causing a collision.”
News of the latest Chinese intercept comes as President Joe Biden is expected to speak with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi when he visits the White House on Friday, CNN reported on Thursday. It is not clear whether the meeting will be a formal discussion or a more informal meet and greet. Wang is also expected to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday and national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Friday.
He was just communicating
Charlie: Well, if you were directly above him, how could you see him? Maverick: Because I was inverted. Iceman: [coughs] Bullshit. Goose: No, he was, man. It was a really great move. He was inverted. Charlie: You were in a 4G inverted dive with a MiG-28? Maverick: Yes, ma’am. Charlie: At what range? Maverick: About two meters? Goose: Well, it’s actually about one and a half, I think. It was one and a half. I’ve got a great Polaroid of it, and he’s right there, must be one and a half. Maverick: Was a nice picture. Goose: Thanks. Charlie: Eh, Lieutenant, what were you doing there? Goose: Communicating. Maverick: Communicating. Keeping up foreign relations. I was, you know, giving him the bird. Goose: You know, the finger