US military should stop spy strategy

The "close encounter" between a Chinese navy fighter jet and a US Navy reconnaissance plane in China's airspace on Aug 19 and the war of words between the two militaries that followed might have prompted some in the world arena to think that tension is building up in China-US military ties.

While the United States labeled the incident as "a dangerous Chinese intercept" and "Chinese provocation", the Ministry of National Defense insisted it was "US close-in reconnaissance"; the difference in language showing how big the divide is between the two militaries.

In fact, the location of the dangerous encounter, which happened in the airspace about 220 kilometers east of China's Hainan Island speaks for itself. The US accusation does not hold water: Its act of sending spy planes into the airspace over China's exclusive economic zone is 100 percent espionage.