Chinese defense: Washington is misleading public opinion about the incident over the South China Sea

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The Chinese Ministry of Defense confirmed that the United States misled the public opinion about the incident that occurred near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea last Thursday.

In response to a statement by the US military regarding the incident, the Chinese defense said in a statement today: “A US military aircraft engaged in a confrontation with Chinese aircraft last week over the waters of the South Sea, which endangered the safety of Chinese pilots,” noting that the US practices are a violation of international law.

The US military claimed that a Chinese Navy fighter plane flew within 3 meters of a US Air Force plane, forcing it to perform evasive maneuvers to avoid collision.

Tian Junli, a spokesman for China's Southern Theater Command, said the United States had misled the public about the incident that occurred near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, adding that the American plane had violated international law, ignored China's repeated warnings and made dangerous approaches that threatened the safety of Chinese aircraft.

The Chinese spokesperson called on the US side to curb front-line movements of naval and air forces, strictly abide by relevant international laws and agreements, and prevent accidents at sea and air.

Junli said that China considers almost the entire South China Sea as part of its sovereign territory, yet it disputes parts of it with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.

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