The United States has filed a formal protest against Beijing after a Chinese warplane flew dangerously close to a U.S. Navy surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea Tuesday.

According to the Pentagon, the Chinese fighter made several "dangerous" and "unprofessional" passes at the U.S. Navy plane, at one point coming as close as 20 feet. The White house called this a "deeply concerning provocation" and demands an explanation from the Chinese.

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Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said the intercept took place on Tuesday 135 miles (200 km) east of Hainan Island, when the Chinese J-11 fighter jet, an equivalent of the Russian SU-27,  flew as close as 20 to 30 feet to the P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol plane, and conducted a barrel roll over the plane.

Kirby said the "flamboyant" Chinese jet crossed at least three times beneath the U.S. plane with only about 100 separation.

"The Chinese jet also passed the nose of the P-8 at 90 degrees with its belly towards the P-8 Poseidon, we believe to make a point of showing its weapons load," Kirby said.

Sounding exasperated, he called the maneuvers by the Chinese jet "pretty aggressive, very unprofessional."

Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said the White House has "communicated directly to the Chinese government our objection to this type of action."

Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Jeff Pool said the "intercept was aggressive and demonstrated a lack of due regard for the safety and well-being of the U.S. and Chinese aircrews and aircraft." Pool added that the incident is one of the most dangerous aerial encounters with the Chinese since the April 2001 EP-3 mid-air collision with a Chinese J-8.

The P-8, a new, militarized Boeing-737 anti-submarine warfare aircraft, was conducting routine surveillance of the Chinese coast over the South China Sea, not the East China Sea as initially reported.