Pentagon releases footage of hundreds of ‘highly concerning’ aircraft intercepts by Chinese planes

By TARA COPP
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has released footage of some of the more than 180 intercepts of U.S. warplanes by Chinese aircraft that have occurred in the last two years — more than the total amount over the previous decade and part of a trend U.S. military officials called concerning. The officials said the Chinese flights were risky and aggressive in nature, but stopped short of calling most of them unsafe — a specific term that is used only in the most egregious cases. Still the officials said it was important to call out the behavior because they said it was part of a larger trend of regional intimidation by China.