The US Indo-Pacific Command said a Chinese fighter jet conducted an "unnecessary aggressive" maneuver while intercepting a US spy plane in international airspace over the South China Sea on May 26.
The US command statement added that the Chinese J-16 fighter flew directly in front of the US RC-16, forcing it to cross an air bullet.
According to Reuters, a video clip showed the Chinese fighter plane passing in front of the American plane, and the cockpit of the American plane shook due to turbulence in the air.
A senior U.S. defense official said the Pentagon had detected an alarming increase in the number of aerial interceptions and dangerous naval confrontations by Chinese military aircraft and ships.
The U.S. official added that these actions could lead to unsafe incidents or miscalculation.
The senior U.S. official added that U.S. concerns related to the latest incident are being addressed through appropriate diplomatic and military channels with the Chinese side.
"The United States will continue to fly and sail safely and responsibly, as long as international law permits," the statement said.
Such interceptions sometimes occur, Reuters notes, citing an incident in December when a Chinese military aircraft came within 3 meters of a US Air Force plane and forced it to carry out maneuvers to avoid collisions in international airspace.