Washington, September 23 (RHC)-- A Chinese interceptor jet nearly collided with an American spy plane over the Yellow Sea last week. The jet conducted a pass near the American RC-135 while it was busy gathering electronic intelligence near the disputed Senkaku Islands on September 15th, the Washington Free Beacon reported.

The newly-released report was later confirmed by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook. According to Cook, the plane was flying some 80 miles (nearly 130 kilometers) east of the Shandong Peninsula, when the Chinese aircraft flew in front of it to conduct an intercept “perceived as unsafe by the RC-135 air crew.”

The report, which came before an upcoming visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the United States, drew reactions from some republican lawmakers, who took the chance to attack the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama.