China Accuses US Of “Military Provocation” After Bombers Fly Near Artificial

“The actions by the USA side were a serious military provocation, creating complex conditions in the South China Sea and even militarization in the region”, ministry officials said.

The information office of the ministry said the Chinese military kept close surveillance on the bombers’ activities and gave it warnings.CCTV’s Jim Spellman has a timeline of previous incidents between the two countries in and above the waters off China. The area in the South China Sea is one of questionable sovereignty as the Chinese stake claim to portions of the sea while Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan also make claims to the area.

Washington has said China’s transformation of the geographical features in the Spratly Islands poses a threat to freedom of navigation in the critical area. The Americans regularly conduct so-called “freedom of navigation operations” in the area. It added that China would “take all necessary measures” to defend its sovereignty over the islands.

A Freedom of Navigation operation is, according to the U.S. Department of State, is the principle that sovereign nations have maritime and overflight rights and freedoms on a worldwide basis on global waters. “We are looking into the matter”, Pentagon spokesman Mark Wright told AFP.

A formation of the Nanhai Fleet of China’s Navy on Saturday finished a three-day patrol of the Nansha islands in the South China Sea. The U.S. then sent a B-52 bomber through the zone without contacting China.In Aug. 2014, a U.S. P-8 Poseidon Surveillance Plane was intercepted by Chinese fighters over the South China Sea.

Australia was the second country after the United States to challenge China’s claim to nearly all of the South China Sea which is roiled in tension after China transformed reefs into artificial islands capable of supporting military facilities.

China on Saturday warned countries which are “outside” the region not to “meddle” in the South China Sea issue, saying “muscle-flexing” will not be good for regional security.

Mr Le said China is ready for negotiations and has already signed the “Declaration of Conduct in the South China” with ASEAN nations which lays down norms of peaceful resolution to the issue.

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

In October, the destroyer USS Lassen sailed within the 12 mile territorial limit around several of those artificial islands.

On Wednesday, Beijing filed a formal diplomatic complaint and the Foreign Ministry said it would take “necessary measures, including the imposition of sanctions against companies participating in the arms sale to Taiwan”.

United States defence firms are forbidden to sell arms to China.