An encounter above the Pacific Ocean has raised tensions between the United States and China.

A Chinese fighter jet intercepted a U.S. surveillance plane midair above international waters coming dangerously close to the American plane, according to American officials.

On Friday Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Department of Defense's press secretary, said that a Chinese fighter jet had intercepted a U.S. Navy plane and performed dangerous maneuvers close to the aircraft, according to the New York Times.

The incident happened some 135 miles off Hainan Island where a Chinese J-11 fighter jet intercepted a Navy Boeing P-8 Poseidon patrol plane. The Chinese jet, explained Kirby, flew wingtip-to-wingtip at a distance of less than 30 feet from the Poseidon and performed a barrel roll above the plane, reports the Washington Post.

It then passed in front of the American plane's nose at a 90-degree angle, showing its underside "to make a point of showing its weapons," Kirby told reporters. "This kind of behavior not only is unprofessional, it's unsafe."

As a result of incident, the U.S. government has filed a formal diplomatic complaint with the Chinese government, according to Reuters. Deputy National security Adviser Ben Rhodes called the incident a "deeply concerning provocation."

"What we've encouraged is constructive military-to-military ties with China and this type of action ... clearly violates the spirit of that engagement, and we've made our concerns known directly to Beijing," Rhodes added.

The incident resembles one that happened in 2001, though the earlier one ended in disaster. A Chinese jet intercepted a U.S. EP-3E surveillance plane; however, when it attempted a close fly pass, the Chinese plane crashed into the American one. The Chinese pilot died and the 24-man crew was interned in Hainan until a negotiated release.

However, a spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry said American criticism of the incident are "totally groundless," according to China's Xinhua state news agency. He added that the Chinese pilot performed professionally and maintained the plane at a safe distance. He also took the opportunity to ask the U.S. to "finally stop close-in surveillance of China."