Chinese fighter jets intercept US aircraft over the East China Sea.

U.S. officials said on July 24 that China had deployed two fighter jets to intercept a U.S. Navy surveillance aircraft over the East China Sea last weekend.

According to preliminary reports, one of China's J-10s approached the U.S. EP-3 to within 91 meters, causing the latter to change course, Reuters reported, citing two unnamed officials.

A US EP-3 surveillance aircraft is being escorted by an EA-18G. Photo: Reuters

The Chinese fighter jets were armed, and the location where they intercepted the American aircraft was 80 nautical miles (approximately 148 km) from Qingdao, one of the two officials further revealed.

Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis also confirmed the information about the interception on July 23. He described the J-10 flying at high speed below the EP-3, then slowing down and flying ahead of the American aircraft.

"Interceptions happen fairly frequently in international airspace. Most are carried out safely," Davis said.

Earlier, on May 24, US officials said that two Chinese Su-30 fighter jets intercepted a US radar-detection aircraft while it was flying in international airspace over the East China Sea, with one of the Chinese aircraft flying just over 180 meters from the US plane.

According to Vietnamnet.vn