|
The U.S. aircraft was a P-8A Poseidon patrol and reconnaissance
plane, capable of conducting long-range anti-submarine warfare,
according to a statement by the People’s Liberation Army’s
Eastern Theater Command.
Chinese military forces “organized warplanes to tail and monitor
the U.S. aircraft’s flight and handled it in accordance with the
law,” said Li Xi, a senior colonel and spokesperson for the
command.
“Theater command troops will remain on constant high alert and
resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security as well
as regional peace and stability,” he added.
The U.S. Navy didn’t immediately comment on the incident.
China claims the self-ruled island of Taiwan as its own
territory and bristles at other countries’ patrolling the body
of water separating it from the island.
On Friday, Germany sailed two warships through the Taiwan Strait
in its first transit of the disputed waters in more than two
decades, drawing criticism from Beijing.
In 2001, a U.S. surveillance plane and a Chinese navy fighter
collided mid-air near the Chinese island province of Hainan,
resulting in the Chinese pilot’s death. The U.S. said its plane
was in international airspace and the accident was the result of
reckless flying by the Chinese side.
All contents © copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights
reserved
|
|
