“It needs to be pointed out that American aircraft have constantly entered China’s coastal waters conducting reconnaissance, which has posed a serious threat to China’s maritime and air safety”, said Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei.
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He also urged the USA to cease its reconnaissance activities near the Chinese coast, repeating the government’s warning that such actions hurt China’s national security.
China claims nearly all of the energy-rich South China Sea, through which more than $5 trillion of maritime trade passes each year.
However, these have been contested by neighboring nations, particularly Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei and the Philippines, whose territories overlap with what China claims to be theirs.
Earlier China scrambled fighter jets when a U.S. naval ship sailed close to a disputed reef claimed by China in the South China Sea to assert its freedom of navigation in global waters.
Observers said it is likely that Washington will continue its high-profile military presence in the South China Sea in the near future to maintain political pressure on China and bolster its overall regional strategy.
In a statement, the Pentagon said its aircraft was carrying out “a routine patrol” when it was intercepted.
“We believe our folks were flying in a safe manner for sure”, he said at a press briefing.
Moreover, though Beijing constantly claims that it has peaceful intentions in the South China Sea, its actions speak otherwise.
The latest incident comes ahead of President Barack Obama’s scheduled visit to Japan and Vietnam during his Asia trip from May 21 to 28. “We hereby ask the USA immediately to stop these actions so as to avoid the recurrence of such incidents”.
On May 17, an American reconnaissance aircraft was flying close to the Chinese island of Hainan and conducting reconnaissance operations.
“We don’t hope to see any more close-up military reconnaissance or the dispatch of missile destroyers or strategic bombers to the South China Sea”, said Foreign Minister Wang.
China has backed its expansive claims with island-building and naval patrols, while the United States says it opposes restrictions on freedom of navigation and unlawful sovereignty claims – by all sides.
It described the incident as an unsafe intercept and said it is being reviewed.
This is the second encounter between the U.S. and Chinese militaries in a week.
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaking in an interview with the Al Jazeera network aired yesterday, defended his country’s construction activities in the South China Sea, blaming the United States instead of militarisation in the region.
