A ship-borne J-15 fighter jet prepares to land at the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Liaoning (Hull 16). Photo:China Military

Answering to a question raised at Friday's media briefing about US, Canada and Australia claiming they had "unsafe interactions" with Chinese fighter jets in the South China Sea, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin noted that actions of warplanes of these countries are a complete provocation to China. He warned the involved parties not to abuse China's restraint while continually jeopardizing China's national sovereignty.

US media outlet Politico reported on Thursday that a Chinese fighter jet had an "unsafe" and "unprofessional" interaction with a US special operations C-130 aircraft in the South China Sea last month, adding that the move comes amid "more aggressive military actions by Chinese pilots in the East and South China Seas in recent months involving Australian and Canadian aircraft."

Wang noted that the Foreign Ministry has responded to such questions many times, reiterating that relevant UN Security Council resolutions simply do not authorize any country to deploy military forces in maritime and airspace under the jurisdiction of another country to carry out surveillance activities, and the actions of military aircraft of these countries are a complete provocation to China.

"We also urge the relevant parties to respect facts, refrain from abusing China's restraint, and immediately stop any actions that endanger China's national sovereignty and security in the name of implementing UN Security Council resolutions," Wang said. 

On Wednesday, a US aircraft carrier reportedly entered the South China Sea and operated near the Nansha Islands, while at the same time a US destroyer trespassed into Chinese territorial waters off the Xisha Islands, a move that Chinese experts deemed as an escalated provocation that could lead to an unwanted conflict.