U.S. accuses Chinese fighter jet of 'unnecessarily aggressive maneuver' in South China Sea

The United States has accused a Chinese combatant pitchy of engaging successful an "unnecessarily assertive maneuver" portion intercepting a U.S. subject reconnaissance craft successful planetary airspace implicit the South China Sea.

It is the latest successful a bid of flashpoints successful the highly contested territory that China claims arsenic its own.

The Chinese J-16 combatant pitchy chopped successful beforehand of the chemoreceptor of the U.S. Air Force RC-135 aircraft, "forcing the U.S. craft to alert done its aftermath turbulence," said the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command successful a statement.

The U.S. craft was conducting "safe and regular operations implicit the South China Sea successful planetary airspace, successful accordance with planetary law," according to the statement.

China's Defense Ministry did not instantly respond to CNBC's petition for comment.

The incidental took spot connected Saturday and a video signaling was posted connected the Twitter relationship of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

The South China Sea has been a large flashpoint successful the Asia-Pacific successful astatine slightest the past decennary arsenic China grew much assertive with its burgeoning economical clout bolstering its planetary influence.

As portion of its projection of power, China claims maritime jurisdiction implicit the strategical waterway that is affluent with resources specified arsenic lipid and gas.

Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam besides person competing claims to parts of the waterway, a captious commercialized route.

Relations betwixt China and the U.S. were further strained successful August aft then-U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan – the self-governing land that China besides claims arsenic its own. She was the highest ranking U.S. authoritative to sojourn contempt China's informing to the U.S. to abide by the "One China" principle.