China rejects US aircraft surveillance over South China Sea

Beijing, May 27: China's military rejected US claims on China's "unsafe" intercept of an American Navy reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea, and demanded the US ends such action.

China's aircraft acted professionally and in line with a China-US encounter safety code agreed by both sides, Xinhua news agency quoted spokesman of the defence ministry as saying.

America's frequent reconnaissance over Chinese waters is a real source of danger for China-US military safety, the spokesman said.

The Pentagon claimed two Chinese J-11 fighters unsafely intercepted a US EP-3 Aries aircraft on May 17 which was conducting routine operations in international airspace.

IANS