China outraged over ‘serious U.S. military provocation’

In the early hours of Oct 27, the USS Lassen, an American guided missile destroyer, sailed within 12 nautical miles of two Chinese-built artificial islands in the South China Sea – triggering weeks of heated diplomatic exchanges between the United States and China. The artificial islands consist of three separate islands in the South China Sea that the country claims as part of their territory.

The Chinese military kept strict surveillance and remained on high alert for USA bombers’ flight on December 10, and warned and expelled the bombers, he said.

The Defense Ministry accused the USA of intentionally raising tensions within the disputed region, where China has-been aggressively asserting its claims to almost all islands, reefs & their surrounding seas.

Chinese government officials filed a complaint with the USA embassy in Beijing after a US bomber flew close to disputed islands.

Taiwan’s representative office in the US said the remarks shows US Congress support Taiwan as a peacemaker in the South China Sea. Bill Urban as saying that the B-52 was not on a so-called freedom of navigation operation, meant to assert the plane’s right to transit the area.

“We conduct B-52 flights in global air space in that part of the world all the time”, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in November.

He added that the United States, which has yet to confirm how many bombers were involved in the mission, is now looking into the matter.

Presenting the Indian argument, in response to Mr. Le, Ram Madhav, general secretary of the BJP, said China had to take “utmost care” in ensuring freedom of navigation and peace and stability in the South China Sea region.

He also said that Itu Aba, the largest natural, self-sustainable islet in the Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島) region, qualifies as an island under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

China’s latest protest comes amid a simmering dispute over Washington’s approval of the first arms package offered to Beijing’s self-governing rival Taiwan in four years.

Beijing demanded the deal be scrapped to avoid harming relations across the Taiwan Strait and between China and the US. As is China’s usual practice the Foreign Ministry took a more diplomatic tone.

The main contractor behind the weaponry is Raytheon. At the time, China referred to the destroyer sail-by as an “extremely irresponsible” move.