Beijing Fighters Flew 16ft From Canadian Patrol Plane

A mid-air spat between Canada and Beijing and now a general is kicking up concerns. A Chinese fighter jet cut off a Canadian patrol plane as it flew over international waters off the coast of China Monday. And dropped flares in its flight path. Reporters onboard the patrol plane added that other Chinese fighter jets got a little too close for comfort -- coming as close as about 15 feet from the aircraft. (5 meters = 5.5 yards = 16.5 ft) The Canadian general said the fighters "became very aggressive" -- to an "unsafe and unprofessional" degree. He added that Canada wanted to avoid anything that could "result in loss of life." Canadian Defense Minister Bill Blair described the incident as dangerous, reckless, and unacceptable. China's Foreign Ministry responded Tuesday -- alleging the Canadian plane, quote: "illegally intruded" into what China considers its airspace. Beijing claims virtually all of the South China sea as part of Chinese territory. Canada said the flight was part of a United Nations mission involving the U.S., Japan, and France -- designed to enforce sanctions against North Korea's nuclear program.