A Chinese fighter jet flew within three meters (10 feet) of a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane during an intercept last week over the South China Sea, forcing the U.S. plane to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision, the U.S military has revealed.

The revelation is the latest in what Washington has called a trend of increasingly dangerous behavior by the Chinese military in its encounters with the U.S. and its allies and partners in the region.

According to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the latest incident, which took place on Dec. 21, involved a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy J-11 fighter pilot, which “performed an unsafe maneuver” during an intercept of a U.S. Air Force RC-135 aircraft that it said “was lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace.”

A U.S. military spokesperson told The Japan Times on Friday that the Chinese fighter had approached the RC-135, initially positioning itself approximately three meters from the U.S. plane’s wing before moving to a position in front of the U.S. aircraft, where it “dangerously drifted within 20 feet (six meters) of the RC-135’s nose.”

In a rare move, the Indo-Pacific Command also released video of the encounter showing the J-11 flying off the RC-135’s nose. As the Chinese fighter draws closer, the American plane appears to take evasive action by descending away from the J-11.

U.S. defense officials have repeatedly expressed unease over the Chinese military’s growing willingness to take risks, including over the disputed South China Sea. Many fear the potential for a major incident or accident to explode into a broader conflict, especially in the current atmosphere of animosity between Washington and Beijing.

“This latest incident reflects a concerning trend of unsafe and dangerous intercept practices by the PLA that are of grave concern to the United States,” the U.S. military spokesperson said, adding that Washington intended to “respond through appropriate diplomatic and military channels.”

Asked about the decision to release the information more than a week after the incident, the U.S. military spokesperson cited time needed to verify details, obtain and declassify imagery and make proper notifications to other government agencies.

That decision has been part of a broader approach by the Pentagon to publicize what it says is a growing pattern of dangerous behavior by the Chinese military in the region.

In July, Ely Ratner, the Pentagon’s top Asia official, called Beijing’s moves “one of the most significant threats to peace and stability in the region today.”

“If the PLA continues this pattern of behavior, it is only a matter of time before there is a major incident or accident in the region,” Ratner said, noting a sharp increase in “unsafe and unprofessional behavior” by Chinese military ships and aircraft targeting not only the U.S. but also allied forces operating in the region.

In February, a Chinese Navy ship directed a laser at an Australian patrol aircraft, while in May a Chinese fighter jet cut off another Australian military plane in international airspace over the South China Sea, releasing chaff including aluminum fragments that were sucked into the aircraft’s engine. In June, a Canadian surveillance plane was also buzzed by a Chinese fighter, which reportedly flew so close that the Canadian pilots could make eye contact with their Chinese counterparts.

The waters and airspace of the flash point South China Sea have been the scene of numerous such encounters.

Beijing claims some 90% of the strategic waterway, through which trillions of dollars in trade flow every year, despite a July 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague invalidating most of those claims.

China has conducted a massive land-reclamation project to essentially build and militarize a number of islands in the waters, despite protests from other claimants and the United States and Japan. Washington and Tokyo fear that the Chinese-held outposts, some of which boast military-grade airfields and advanced weaponry, could be used to restrict free movement in an area that includes vital sea lanes.

In its statement Thursday, the Indo-Pacific Command said it is “dedicated to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and will continue to fly, sail and operate at sea and in international airspace with due regard for the safety of all vessels and aircraft under international law.”

“We expect all countries in the Indo-Pacific region to use international airspace safely and in accordance with international law,” it added.