Chinese jet fighter crashes during training mission

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A Chinese fighter jet crashed during a training mission with the pilot parachuting to safety, state media said.

The brief report by Xinhua News Agency stated Saturday that the crash happened near a town on China’s southernmost island province of Hainan, home to numerous air force and naval bases, radar stations and other military infrastructure aimed at shoring-up China’s claim to the vast, strategic South China Sea.

The report didn’t provide any further details except that the cause of the accident was under investigation.

China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army, is highly secretive and rarely reports on accidents, despite having the world’s largest navy and standing army.

China has not fought in an actual war in 35 years, but is expanding its military footprint along with its push to overcome the West in the latest technology. It has also been transitioning to stealth fighters and other craft with capabilities similar to those used by the U.S. but without the