Chinese state media released undated footage on Sunday saying the country’s fighter jets had “expelled” foreign military aircraft that approached the East Asian power’s airspace.

Newsweek has contacted the Chinese defense and foreign ministries for comment by email.

Why It Matters

Close aerial encounters between Chinese and foreign militaries are not uncommon as the United States and its allies and partners have deployed various types of aircraft to monitor China‘s military activities both near its coastline and farther out into the western Pacific.

This was not the first time Chinese state media released footage of such incidents. In April, China Central Television aired a documentary that appeared to show a close encounter between Chinese and American fighter jets launched from their respective aircraft carriers.

While aerial intercepts are intended to prevent airspace violations, such maneuvers can lead to midair collisions if executed in an unsafe or unprofessional manner. In 2001, a U.S. spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet collided near China, resulting in the death of a Chinese pilot.

What To Know

According to China Central Television, a pair of Chinese J-16 fighter jets intercepted a foreign aircraft that was accused of breaching China’s territorial sea boundary, which extends 13.8 miles from the coastline under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

In the aired footage, a Chinese fighter jet was seen flying both behind and alongside the foreign aircraft at the same altitude. The fighter jet later released flares as the Chinese side issued a radio warning, urging the target to “leave immediately or bear the consequences.”

It was not clear whether the “consequences” mentioned by the Chinese military referred to the possibility of firing shots if the aircraft entered China’s airspace over its territorial waters.

While the exact date and location of the incident, as well as the identity of the foreign aircraft, remain unknown, the report—citing a military expert—mentioned that three types of Chinese fighter jets, including the J-16, can expel the U.S.-made P-8A patrol aircraft.

A similar incident occurred in February over the South China Sea when Chinese J-16 fighter jets intercepted an Australian P-8A patrol aircraft during a surveillance mission.

At the time, the Australian military said its aircraft was flying in international airspace, describing the aerial encounter as an “unsafe and unprofessional interaction.” In response, China’s Foreign Ministry accused the Australian aircraft of intruding into Chinese airspace.

China has asserted sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, with claims that overlap those of neighboring countries, including the Philippines—a U.S. mutual defense treaty ally.

What People Are Saying

Chinese air force aviation brigade member Zhang Zhanfang told China Central Television: “The foreign aircraft flew over at a low altitude, not very disciplined, almost at a vertical 90 degrees, breaching our territorial sea line.”

Chinese military affair expert Cao Weidong told China Central Television: “Our aircraft can fly parallel to the foreign aircraft, and if it moves closer inward, we can approach, warn and drive it away. And if it enters our territorial sea and airspace, that’s a different matter.”

What Happens Next

Close encounters between Chinese and foreign military aircraft and vessels are likely to continue as tensions in the South China Sea and across the Taiwan Strait remain high.