Second US aircraft carrier sent to China amid seething tension

The United States Navy is reportedly sending a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Asia Pacific region following a dangerous aerial intercept between a Chinese jet and one of its P-8 surveillance craft.

The U.S. navy said that the strike group, led by the USS Carl Vinson, left San Diego for the Pacific on Friday as part of a "planned" deployment.

While Chinese Defense Spokesperson Yang Yujun maintained that the Chinese interceptor was just making a "regular identification and verification" of the Navy P-8 aircraft, Pentagon termed it "a dangerous and unprofessional encounter," reported The Washington Free Beacon.

Read more