The jet from the Southern Theatre Command crashed in an open space near Jialai town in the southern island of Hainan around 1.30pm. The pilot successfully ejected from the plane and no damage was caused on the ground, the PLA Navy said in a statement on social media.
The PLA said it was organising forces to deal with the aftermath of the accident, adding that it would be investigating the causes.
The island province of Hainan, a popular tropical holiday destination, sits in the South China Sea east of Vietnam. It is also a military stronghold for China in the disputed waters, and acts as a base for PLA destroyers and nuclear-armed submarines.
The Southern Theatre Command is mainly tasked with overseeing the South China Sea, where Beijing’s expansive territorial claims are contested by several neighbours.
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