U.S. military aircraft based in South Korea engaged in aerial training exercises close to China's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) in the Yellow Sea, prompting an emergency response from the Chinese military. On the 18th, several U.S. fighter jets launched from Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, and entered the middle ground between the Korean and Chinese ADIZs for patrol flights. As U.S. aircraft approached the Chinese ADIZ, Chinese jets were dispatched in response, resulting in a temporary standoff in which both sides monitored each other's activities but did not escalate into a military clash.

This incident is significant as U.S. military exercises in the Yellow Sea are frequent, but encroaching upon the Chinese ADIZ is unusual. The ADIZ is a designated area for the early identification of aerial threats and differs from national airspace in international law; however, it is customary for military aircraft to notify the relevant countries prior to approaching each other's ADIZs. South Korea's ADIZ was established in March 1951 during the Korean War by the United States, while China's East China Sea ADIZ was unilaterally defined by China in November 2013.

The recent training by U.S. forces near the Chinese ADIZ is interpreted as a move to counter China’s influence. The U.S. military in South Korea has emphasized the need for 'strategic flexibility', which involves utilizing U.S. forces not only to counter threats from North Korea but also to deter China. Officials from the U.S. military have remained vague about the nature and objectives of this training, stating that further clarifications might come from the Indo-Pacific Command in the future, indicating a broader strategic context behind the drills.