China accuses US of serious military provocation

The US also flew a B-52 over an artificial island in the South China Sea on November 12th.

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.

“I will also say that for this mission there was no intention of flying within 12 nautical miles of any feature”, he added.

“Australia has a long history of supporting rights of freedom of navigation, freedom of over-flight, and we will continue to traverse the South China Sea in accordance with global law as we have done in the past”, she said. “We are looking into the matter”, Urban said.

China claims nearly all of the energy-rich waters of the South China Sea, through which more than US$5 trillion (S$7 trillion) of maritime trade passes each year.

On Oct. 27, Washington infuriated Beijing when the US Navy’s guided missile destroyer USS Lassen sailed inside 21 kilometers of at the very least one synthetic island constructed by China within the disputed Spratly Islands chain. That claim is disputed by China’s neighbors and by the United States.

Calling the situation in the waters that stretch from China’s south coast “in general relatively stable”, Wang said negotiations among regional powers would resolve the tensions.

China has been increasing its presence in the region over the last decade, and neighboring nations, such as Vietnam and the Philippines have protested.

The United States, while not directly involved in the territorial feud although bound by a defense treaty with the Philippines, has repeatedly emphasized that ships should have freedom of navigation in the waterways.

However satellite photographs had shown the construction of three military-length airstrips by China in the Spratlys, including one each on Mischief and Subi reefs.

Washington angered Beijing in October when a U.S. warship sailed close to artificial islets that China is building out into military bases, in what the USA called a “freedom of navigation” exercise.

China’s defense ministry said in a statement on its website on Saturday that its forces had closely monitored the plane and warned the aircraft to leave.

The increased militarization of Natuna is Indonesia’s latest move to strengthen its defenses in the South China Sea, where it has begun to challenge Beijing’s claims that about 90% of the highly trafficked waterway is Chinese territory.

When the plane headed southwest towards Fiery Cross Reef, known as Yongshu Jiao in Chinese, and was close to 20 nautical miles to the reef where the Chinese have built a major runway, a voice came over the radio, the BBC said.