WASHINGTON — Chinese fighter jets have flown dangerously close to U.S. reconnaissance planes over the South China Sea several times in recent months, prompting complaints from American officials to the Chinese, senior Pentagon officials said Sunday.
The officials said it was not uncommon for Chinese jets to shadow American spy planes in that region. The one involved in the latest incident was a sophisticated, long-range maritime surveillance plane used to monitor the activities of ships, submarines and aircraft and also capable of intercepting and interpreting electronic signals from military units on land.
"The intercepts by Chinese fighters over the past couple of months have become more aggressive, to the point that we felt that they were endangering the safety of Chinese and American aircraft," said Adm. Dennis C. Blair, commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Command.
The Navy plane was capable of monitoring Chinese military activities along the shore and in the South China Sea by intercepting and recording a wide variety of communications. The plane was not carrying any weapons, Pentagon officials said.
The U.S. plane made an emergency landing on Hainan shortly after the accident. American military officials said the plane landed safely and that all 24 crew members appeared to be in good condition — though the officials complained that the Chinese had not allowed contact with the crew since the plane landed.
"This is a tragic military accident that could have been avoided if Chinese pilots had respected the laws of international air space," said Sen. John Warner, R-Va., who is chairman of the armed services committee. "China, as an emerging military power, appears in the eyes of military persons the world over very unprofessional, unless it comes forward promptly with an accurate explanation of the incident and returns our aircraft and crew."
Pentagon officials said the United States would consider it a severe breach in diplomatic protocol for the Chinese to board or search the aircraft without American permission.
"That would be a real diplomatic issue if they boarded the plane," said a Pentagon official. "We expect the Chinese to follow all international rules in terms of the integrity of the aircraft, as well as taking care of the welfare of the crew."
Pentagon officials said the EP-3E was over international air space, at least 50 miles off the shore of Hainan Island, when the two Chinese-made F-8 fighter planes began shadowing it on Saturday night.