The U.S. Military said that on Tuesday, a Chinese fighter plane flew close to an American reconnaissance aircraft in the South China Sea. This forced the American pilots to fly over the turbulent wake.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command issued a statement saying that the Chinese J-16 pilot “flew right in front of RC-135’s nose” while the aircraft was performing routine operations on international airspace. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command called the Chinese maneuver an “unnecessarily aggression maneuver.”

U.S. Defense leaders have complained about China’s military becoming more aggressive in the last five years. They say that China has intercepted U.S. ships and aircraft in the area. Tensions have risen in recent months due to Washington’s support for Taiwan and the sale of defensive weapons, China’s claims of sovereignty over the disputed South China Sea, and the flying of a suspected spy ball over the U.S.

As a sign of tensions, China announced that its Defense Minister will not be meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at a security summit in Singapore next weekend. Austin will address the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday. The Chinese Defense Minister, Gen. Li Shangfu, will be speaking at the event on Sunday.

Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder is the Pentagon’s press secretary. He said that China had informed the U.S. it would not be meeting Austin while the two were attending the conference. He said Beijing’s “concerning refusal to engage in meaningful, military-to-military discussion” would not reduce the Defense Department’s desire to open up lines of communication with China’s army.

Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, blamed the U.S. on Tuesday, saying that Washington should “earnestly” respect China’s security and sovereignty interests, correct any wrongdoings, be sincere, and create an atmosphere conducive to dialogue and communication.

Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, stated that during his visit to the Indo-Pacific region last summer, the number of interceptions by Chinese aircrafts and ships with U.S. forces and other partners in the Pacific has risen significantly.

China regularly challenges military aircraft of the U.S., its allies and other countries, particularly over the strategic South China Sea that China claims as its own. In 2001, this behavior resulted in an in-flight collision that led to the loss of a Chinese aircraft and the death of its pilot. Beijing is deeply offended by the presence of U.S. assets in the region and demands that American planes and ships leave the area.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command issued a statement on Tuesday, stating that America would continue to “fly and sail safely and responsibly wherever international law permits” and expected all other countries do the same.