There are only a few of the USAF RC-135 rivet joint aircraft. They are designed for SIGint/Elint and EW. The Chinese J-11 is worth many multiples less than the priceless RC-135 so the game of chicken was in China's favor.
Chinese jet came within 10 feet of U.S. military aircraft, U.S. says
A Chinese military plane came within 10 feet (3 metres) of a U.S. air force aircraft in the contested South China Sea last week and forced it to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision in international airspace, the U.S. military said on Thursday.