China: Severe US military challenge
The Chinese Defense Ministry today denounced "a serious military challenge" after the overflight realized last week American B-52 bombers over an area in southern Sinica Sea claimed by China and is the focus of intense conflict with its neighbors.
"On the morning of December 10, two US B-52 bombers entered without permission the airspace of Chinese Nancy islands and the adjacent territorial waters," the ministry said in a statement posted on its website, using the Mandarin name of Spartli islands.
In sending two B-52 last week, one of the two aircraft approached closer than two nautical miles closer than expected, an artificial island that China has built a reef of Spartli possibly due to bad weather reported Friday (yesterday), the Wall Street Journal, citing Pentagon officials.
The aircraft "diverted the course of", "without intention", perhaps due to bad weather, the newspaper said.
"This behavior constitutes a serious military challenge that complicates the overall situation in South Sinica Sea" and contributing "to the militarization of the region," complains the side of the Chinese Defense Ministry.
Beijing claims sovereignty rights in almost all South Indian Sea and conducts large backfill operations islands, turning to coral reefs in ports, runways and various infrastructures.
Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Taiwan have claims -sometimes epikalyptomenes- in one part of the region, the focus of intense territorial disputes with China.
For its part, Washington believes the Chinese construction and claims as a threat to freedom of navigation, in one of the most strategic shipping routes in the world.
"For some time now the United States adialeiptospolemika send ships and planes in the airspace and South Great Sea Water showdown and to foment tensions", insisted the Chinese Defense Ministry.
"We demand from the United States to take immediate measures to prevent the recurrence of such risky behavior, so as not to jeopardize the relations between our two countries. The Chinese army will take all necessary steps to vigorously defend its sovereignty and security the country, "added the statement in Beijing.
Indeed, the United States has raised many times in recent months the ire of Beijing, sending a destroyer and then a bomber B-52 near the artificial islands Spartli, controlled by China.
For their part, Chinese naval forces -which include warships, submarines, airborne detection and management systems, and interceptors aeroskafi- developed this week in South Sinica Sea in order to conduct military drills.
