Rivet Joint Crew Reports ‘Unsafe’ Move By Chinese Jet; McCain Weighs In

Timing matters in war and diplomacy. A Chinese JH-7 pilot performed an “unsafe” maneuver in close proximity to an RC-135 Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft on Sept. 15, the Pentagon confirmed today.

With Chinese President Xi Jinping arriving in Seattle tomorrow, one wonders whether the pilot is being praised as a champion of Chinese sovereignty or being chastised as a bumblehead for complicating Xi’s visit.

Two JH-7s were shadowing the Rivet Joint. “The incident in question happened in the Yellow Sea approximately 80 miles east of of the Shandong peninsula.

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