The US military flew one of its strategic bombers this week, the menacing B-52 aircraft, close to the Spratly islands in the disputed South China Sea, which in turn prompted China to react in the usual manner in situations of this kind, especially involving the world’s only superpower, the US.
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The U.S. takes no official stance on sovereignty claims in the strategically crucial sea that China claims nearly in its entirety.
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On Saturday, when China protested over the flight of B-52 bomber close to Spratly islands, the U.S. said it would launch an investigation into the matter to check whether the flight had violated China’s air space.
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“The actions by the United States side constitute a serious military provocation and are rendering more complex and even militarizing conditions in the South China Sea”, China’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Yet, considering the us guided missile destroyer USS Lassen illegally entered waters near Zhubi Reef, part of China’s Nansha Islands, on Oct 28, on what the USA disingenuously called a “freedom of navigation” mission, it is only natural that many Chinese do not feel convinced by the Pentagon’s explanation. “Freedom of navigation is necessary for Japan and South Korea that import most of their energy over the oceans of the Indo-Pacific region”, Mr. Madhav said, while indicating that he supported some fresh policy changes in dealing with China’s claims in the Southeast Asian region.
The US uses pre-planned freedom of navigation operations to assert its rights to “innocent passage” in other country’s territorial waters.
“We go wherever global law enables us to go, so I don’t intend to make a comment on the inside/outside 12-mile issue, but we operate, as our ships do and other platforms, consistent with worldwide law”, he said.
The Pentagon said it was looking at the Chinese complaints.
“For this mission, there was no intention of flying to within 12 nautical miles”. It’s hard to believe the bombers ended up veering that far off-course into the South China Sea without a plan.
Two American B-52 bombers also flew near the artificial islands last month.
Repeated U.S. provocations have fueled tensions in the South China Sea, doing a disservice to regional efforts for peace and stability in the waters and undermining efforts to resolve the maritime disputes between some countries and China through dialogue and negotiation.
In October, the US sent a warship into the region as part of a direct challenge to China’s territorial claims.
The main contractor behind the weaponry is Raytheon.
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The Wall Street Journal on Friday, citing senior U.S. defence officials, said the flight had “unintentionally” flown over the man-made island.
