The US Department of Defense (DoD) and Chinese Ministry of National Defense (MND) are engaged in a war of words over an incident on 19 August when a People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force (PLANAF) Shenyang J-11 fighter harassed a US Navy (USN) Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft. Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told a press briefing on 22 August that the incident occurred about 135 miles (217 km) east of Hainan Island. A Chinese MND statement published on 24 August confirmed the incident occurred 220 km east of Hainan. However, this statement also noted the involvement of two US aircraft - a P-8A and a Lockheed P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft - which the US did not mention.
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