‘Aggressive’ Chinese fighter jet flies dangerously close to U.S. Navy plane (Source CNN) A Chinese fighter jet made several “dangerous” and “unprofessional” passes at a U.S. Navy plane this week — coming as close as 20 feet at one point — in what the White House called a “deeply concerning provocation.” The incident occurred Tuesday in international air space in the South China Sea about 135 miles east of the Chinese island of Hainan, the Pentagon said on Friday. Rear. Adm. John Kirby, the Defense Department spokesman, described a flamboyant approach by what he called an armed Chinese fighter jet that three times crossed beneath the Navy Poseidon patrol aircraft with “only 100 feet of separation.” China slammed U.S. accusations, calling them “totally groundless” and saying its jet was within safe distance. The Chinese fighter jet was deployed to make “regular identification and verification,” Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told state-run Xinhua news agency