Malaysias air force states 16 Chinese military jets flew in a tactical development over the South China Sea and nearly infringed on the nations airspaceByThe Associated PressJune 1, 2021, 1:58 PM – 2 min readShare to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this articleKUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia– Malaysias air force stated Tuesday that 16 Chinese military jets flew in a tactical development over the South China Sea and nearly infringed on the countrys airspace, calling it a risk to Malaysias sovereignty.The air force stated its radar selected up the jets flying in an “in-trail” formation near Malaysian airspace in eastern Sarawak state on Borneo on Monday.It stated the jets then headed near Malaysian-administered Luconia Shoals, a rich fishing ground in the disputed South China Sea before moving almost 60 nautical miles (110 kilometers) off the coast of Sarawak. After attempts to engage the jets failed, the air force said it sent airplanes to determine them.It found the airplanes were Ilyushin il-76 and Xian Y-20 strategic transporters flying at elevations between 23,000 and 27,000 feet.The air force said it reported the flights to the Foreign Ministry.”This incident is a serious risk to national sovereignty and flight security due to the air traffic density over the respiratory tracts,” it said in a statement.Foreign Ministry and Chinese Embassy officials could not be reached instantly for comment.China declares almost the entire South China Sea.