
The US Navy surveillance plane changed direction after being intercepted (Representational)
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A US official said the Chinese J-10 fighter jet was armed
The incident took place 148 km from the Chinese city of Qingdao
In May, two Chinese SU-30 aircraft intercepted a US aircraft
The officials said initial reports showed one of the Chinese J-10 aircraft came close to the U.S. EP-3 plane on Sunday, causing the American aircraft to change direction. The persons spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
One of the officials said the Chinese jet was armed and the incident took place 80 nautical miles (148 km) from the Chinese city of Qingdao.
Incidents such as Sunday's intercept are not uncommon.
In May, two Chinese SU-30 aircraft intercepted a U.S. aircraft designed to detect radiation while it was flying in international air space over the East China Sea.
China is deeply suspicious of any U.S. military activity around its coastline.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Matthew Lewis)
© Thomson Reuters 2017
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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