China accuses U.S. of B-52 ‘provocation’

Earlier this week, an American B-52 bomber mistakenly flew within two miles of a disputed artificial island claimed by China in the South China Sea.

“You don’t need to consult with any nation when you are exercising the right of freedom of navigation in worldwide waters”, State Department Spokesman John Kirby told reporters at the time.

China said two US bombers flew in the airspace near the islands on December 10, putting the country’s military on high alert.

The ministry demanded Washington immediately take measures to prevent repeats of such incidents.

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.

Its reclamation work, which includes the building of airfields on some of the disputed islands, has stirred global controversy and provoked tensions in the region.

The US guided missile destroyer USS Lassen sailed within 12 nautical miles of Subi Reef in late October, which the Chinese branded “extremely irresponsible”.

China said the flights “constitute a serious military provocation and are rendering more complex and even militarising conditions in the South China Sea”.

We are looking into the matter… for this mission there was no intention of flying within 12 nautical miles of any feature.

The Pentagon said the military aircrafts had strayed off course due to bad weather and an investigation has been launched.

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.

The U.S. uses pre-planned freedom of navigation operations to assert its rights to “innocent passage” in other country’s territorial waters. “But certain powers have begun questioning China’s territorial and maritime rights in the region after the discovery of energy fields in the South China Sea”.

“The Chinese have raised concerns with us about the flight path of a recent training mission”. 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.

Beijing, which regards Taiwan as part of its territory, demanded the deal be scrapped to avoid harming relations across the Taiwan Strait and between China and the US.

China’s Defense Ministry urged the U.S.to stop such risky and provocative actions, which have become another source of tension between both countries along with the USA government’s announcement of a new arms sale to Taiwan last week.