US says bombers didn’t intend to fly over China-held islands

U.S. Navy Commander Bill Urban said the Navy regularly conducts training missions in the region.

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

However, responding to the accusations, the USA hinted the mission may have strayed off course by saying there was “no intention of flying within 12 nautical miles of any feature”.

China claims sovereignty over nearly the whole of the South China Sea, which is also claimed in part by Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.

The ministry demanded that the USA immediately adopt measures to avoid such risky actions in order to prevent damaging relations between the two militaries and countries.

The US military flew one of its strategic bombers this week, the menacing B-52 aircraft, close to the Spratly islands in the disputed South China Sea, which in turn prompted China to react in the usual manner in situations of this kind, especially involving the world’s only superpower, the US.

It must be stressed that China has always respected and safeguarded every country’s flight and navigation freedom around the world in line with worldwide laws, Hong said.

China insists it has sovereignty over virtually all of the resourcerich sea, conflicting with the claims of several neighbouring nations, and United States activity in the area has provoked Beijing’s ire several times in recent months.

China’s Defense Ministry said earlier the USA was deliberately raising tensions in the region, where China has been aggressively asserting its claims to most of the man-made reefs in the sea.

The United States’ dispute with China in the contested South China Sea is over access to the vast oil and gas reserves in the strategic waters, and is increasingly of “military nature”, says a political commentator. “We are looking into the matter”, Urban said. However, Washington maintains that China’s seven newly created islands do not enjoy traditional rights including a 12-nautical mile (22-kilometer) territorial limit. The statement came after two American bombers flew into China’s territory in the South China Sea.

“We don’t think this is a constructive approach and will not receive the support and welcome of relevant nations”, Wang said.

Hong said China has lodged solemn protests with the USA side and that the U.S. promised an investigation.

There was no immediate Pentagon response to the latest Chinese protest.

On Wednesday, Beijing filed a formal diplomatic complaint and its Foreign Ministry said it would take “necessary measures, including the imposition of sanctions against companies participating in the arms sale to Taiwan”. That is the language the USA military uses when it intentionally violates the waters or airspace China claims as its own.