Chinese army jet plays it 'unsafe' near U.S. army plane

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- The Pentagon said a Chinese military plane made an "unsafe" move near a U.S. army plane.

On Sept. 15, two Chinese JH-7 jets came within 500 feet of a U.S. RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft flying above the Yellow Sea 80 miles east of the northeastern Shandong Peninsula.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told CNN the crew determined the plane's movement as unsafe. He added there is no indication the movement was a near a collision.

A more dangerous occurrence took place in 2014 when a Chinese fighter jet came within 20 feet of a U.S. Navy plane, simultaneously rolling over to display the weapons it had onboard.

Tuesday also marked the beginning of a U.S. visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who landed in Seattle to promote a resolution of differences between the two nations.

Cook said the incident was under review and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said the incident showed China seeks to continue a "pattern of aggressive behavior" in the region.

Xi is due to have an official visit Friday with President Barack Obama, and he told the Wall Street Journal that his country would remain "defensive in nature" in relations with the United States.