China claims whole of the South China Sea.
Advertisement
Since the parties involved in the disputes are as poles apart as ever, when it comes to sorting out their differences, the U.S. may be forced to send its planes or destroyers, fairly on regular basis, in order to assert its authority in the region and provide China’s tense neighbours with the much needed moral boost – until the moves no longer appear to be strategic, of course, despite the use of strategic military hardware for show of force.
Nevertheless, Pentagon spokesman Cmdr Bill Urban said the B52 overflight had not been part of the policy, which analysts say might propose a navigation mistake.
This may have been because of bad weather conditions, according to officials quoted in the newspaper.
China branded the USA “extremely irresponsible” after its guided missile destroyer USS Lassen sailed within 12 nautical miles of Subi Reef in the South China Sea.
“The Chinese have raised concerns with us about the flight path of a recent training mission”. China vehemently protested in October when a United States warship sailed through the waters near an artificial island being built by China disregarding protests from the Philippines and other mari time claimants.
Freedom of navigation operations are missions conducted to challenge what the USA believes are excessive territorial claims made by other countries. The U.S. says it’s investigating the matter.
“More than half of the world’s annual merchant fleet tonnage passes through these choke points, and a third of all maritime traffic worldwide”, Kaplan wrote.
Two American B-52 bombers also flew near the artificial islands last month.
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.
“In the face of provocative acts from the USA side, the Chinese military will take all necessary means and measures to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security and resolutely safeguard regional peace and stability”, the Defense Ministry’s statement said.
Advertisement
China’s military conducted war games in the area this week, with warships, submarines and fighter jets deployed over a “range of several thousand kilometers”, the People’s Liberation Army Daily said. Le differed: “It is wrong to call it South China Sea dispute”. The crew reportedly heard warnings from China’s navy.
