U.S., China Fighter Jets Clash Over Yellow Sea
Roughly ten F-16 fighter jets belonging to US Forces Korea (USFK) departed Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek — situated approximately 60 kilometers south of Seoul — and conducted a flight over international waters in the Yellow Sea, media reported, citing multiple sources familiar with the mission.
The operation unfolded in the contested airspace lying between South Korea's and China's respective air defense identification zones — a strategically sensitive corridor that has historically been a flashpoint for military posturing.
As the American aircraft drew closer to the Chinese coastline, Beijing rapidly deployed its own fighter jets in response, according to media, which did not specify the number of Chinese planes involved. The publication described "a brief aerial face-off" before tensions subsided, noting that neither country breached the other's airspace, preventing the confrontation from escalating further.
Media also flagged an "unusual" number of American aircraft operating simultaneously in the region, suggesting the mission may have been "aimed at signaling deterrence toward China."
A South Korean news agency confirmed that Washington had notified Seoul in advance of the planned operation, though it offered no additional details.
A Chinese state-run news agency acknowledged the encounter, stating that Beijing's military "organized sea and air forces to conduct continuous monitoring… and effectively responded to and handled the situation."
The incident arrives in the wake of a revised U.S. National Defense Strategy, published in January, which urges South Korea to assume "primary responsibility" for deterring North Korea — a strategic pivot widely interpreted as repositioning American military resources to concentrate on the growing challenge posed by China.
The aerial standoff is not an isolated episode. In 2023, the Pentagon released footage cataloguing more than 180 interceptions of U.S. aircraft by Chinese jets over the East and South China Seas since 2021. By 2024, American media outlets reported a decline in such encounters, coinciding with a cautious thaw in U.S.-China relations.
Despite that brief diplomatic reprieve, bilateral tensions remain deeply entrenched — most acutely over Taiwan. Beijing regards the self-governing island as an inalienable part of its territory and has not ruled out military force to assert control. China has repeatedly condemned U.S. arms transfers to Taipei and objected to high-level American officials visiting the island.
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