Unprofessional Chinese fighter pilots buzz US spy plane in 'unsafe' manner

Brett T. | 8:38 PM on May 18, 2016

On the plus side, there’s been no report of U.S. military aircraft or vessels being buzzed by Russian fighter jets this week:

2 Chinese fighter jets 'buzz' US Navy recon plane in South China Sea. Pentagon calls incident "unsafe." Latest escalation of tensions

— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) May 18, 2016

Chinese Fighter Jets Fly Within 50 Feet Of US Spy Plane Over South China Sea https://t.co/1aIqm51oLy

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) May 18, 2016

JUST IN: Two Chinese jets have come within 50 ft of an American plane in the first "unsafe" intercept between China and the U.S. since 2014

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) May 18, 2016

It was just last month that Defense Secretary Ash Carter addressed Russian fighter jets buzzing a U.S. guided missile destroyer and doing a barrel roll over a U.S. surveillance plane, calling it “unprofessional behavior” as well as dangerous. “These pilots need to get the word, ‘Hey, knock it off. This is unprofessional,'” he told the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Today, the Department of Defense gave the Chinese a mild tongue lashing for similar “unsafe” behavior while praising China for its recent record of safe and professional flying.

JUST IN: DOD reviewing “unsafe" intercept of U.S. military aircraft by 2 Chinese fighter jets over South China Sea pic.twitter.com/JXmucr00q7

— ABC News (@ABC) May 18, 2016