US, China fighter jets briefly face off near South Korea: Report
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The US planes did not enter China’s air defence identification zone, the report said, adding that Beijing scrambled planes as they neared that region.
PHOTO: REUTERS
US and Chinese fighter jets briefly faced off above waters near the Korean peninsula this week, Yonhap News reported, marking a rare confrontation in that area between the two superpowers.
Around 10 US fighter jets on Feb 18 departed from an airbase in Pyeongtaek city for drills above international waters off South Korea’s western coast, the news outlet reported, citing military sources it did not identify.
While the US planes did not enter China’s air defence identification zone, Beijing scrambled planes as they neared that region, according to the report.
“The Chinese People’s Liberation Army organised naval and air forces to monitor and effectively respond to the activities throughout the process, in accordance with laws and regulations,” the Chinese state-backed Global Times said on Feb 20, citing sources it did not name.
An air defence identification zone – which is different from a country’s territorial airspace – is an area in which aircraft are expected to identify themselves as they draw near it.
US Forces Korea, which oversees some 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea, did not immediately provide a comment when reached by Bloomberg News.
China’s Foreign Ministry did not reply to a request for comment made outside working hours. South Korea’s Defence Ministry said it could not confirm US military operations.
“US Forces Korea is maintaining a strong combined defence posture with our military,” the South Korean Defence Ministry said in a statement. South Korea’s military was not involved in the latest training or aware of the flight details in advance, Yonhap reported.
It is unusual for US fighter jets stationed in South Korea to conduct training without Seoul so close to China’s air defence identification zone, according to the Yonhap report.
China has stepped up military aggression in the Indo-Pacific, where Beijing has territorial disputes in the South China Sea and over self-ruled Taiwan.
Tensions have flared in recent months between China and Japan – a key US ally in Asia, alongside South Korea – after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Tokyo could be legally justified in deploying its military
In December 2025, Tokyo accused a Chinese fighter jet of using its weapons-targeting radar on Japanese fighters. Beijing accused the Japanese jets of disrupting its air training.
The latest report also comes as the US signals a reduction in American support to deter North Korea from aggression, urging South Korea to take the primary role in countering Pyongyang.
On Feb 19, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un kicked off a closely watched party congress
He said at the gathering that he would “clarify the next-stage plans for further bolstering the country’s nuclear war deterrent”. BLOOMBERG
