United States jets fly close to China’s Nansha

Navy Commander and Pentagon spokesperson Bill Urban said the USA regularly conducted B-52 training missions throughout the region and that they are “looking into the matter”.

Two US B-52 bombers flew close to islands in the flashpoint South China Sea last week in a “serious military provocation”, Beijing said on Saturday.

It said the United States has sent military vessels and aircraft to the region recently, creating tensions, adding that this behavior threatens the safety of Chinese personnel and facilities on the islands.It said this is a serious military provocation and will complicate the situation in the South China Sea region.

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.

“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. “The Chinese army will take all necessary measures to defend the sovereignty and the security of the country”, the defence ministry said. He urged the USA to seriously reflect and correct its mistake, prevent similar provocative action and stop any move to damage regional peace and stability.

Washington’s official policy is to ensure freedom of navigation along a major trade route.

“This was not a Freedom of Navigation operation”.

China’s Defense Ministry said in a statement Saturday it had warned the aircraft to leave.

Taiwan’s representative office in the US said the remarks shows US Congress support Taiwan as a peacemaker in the South China Sea.

Wang also said that while China understands the concerns of nations from outside the region – a clear reference to the USA – they should “do more to benefit peace and stability and support efforts to find a resolution through talks, and not manufacture tensions or even fan the flames”.

Taiwan as part of its territory, demanded the deal be scrapped to avoid harming relations across the Taiwan Strait and between China and the U.S. The decision drew an angry rebuke from China, which called it “extremely irresponsible”.

“Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, 12-nautical mile limits can not be set around man-made islands built on previously submerged reefs”.

Two US bombers flew into the airspace near an island and reef of the Nansha Islands early on December 10. U.S. defense firms are forbidden to sell arms to Taiwan.