USA plane strays into South China Sea airspace

China has accused the United States of conducting a “serious military provocation” by flying B-52 planes over Chinese man-made islands earlier this month in the South China Sea.

The Daily Mail reports that China is not happy after learning that a U.S. B-52 bomber flew within 12 nautical miles of the Spratlys in the South China Sea.

Pentagon spokesperson Bill Urban confirmed the flights, but told reporters that the bombers did not go within 12 nautical miles (22 kilometres) of any islands.

Dismissing concerns that China might obstruct free navigation in the South China Sea, taking advantage of its territorial and maritime claims, Mr. Le said China’s claims were historically accurate and, therefore, could not be disputed.

China’s Defense Ministry demanded that Washington immediately take action to prevent such incidents and damage to relations between the two nations’ militaries.

Six members in the U.S. House of Representatives recently expressed support for Taiwan’s initiatives in the South China Sea, including its peace proposal and efforts to make Taiping Island a hub for humanitarian assistance and scientific research.

A spokesman for the ministry, Hong Lei, said Saturday the Chinese army closely watched the USA warplanes’ movements and issued warnings, urging them to leave Chinese territory.

“The Chinese armed forces will take whatever measures necessary to safeguard China’s national sovereignty and security as well as peace and stability of the region”, they warned. “We are looking into the matter“.

Calling the situation in the waters that stretch from China’s south coast “in general relatively stable”, Wang said negotiations among regional powers would resolve the tensions.

Beijing claims the island chain is within China’s territorial borders.

Pitching for freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, India has favoured peaceful resolution of the dispute and has economic interests in the hydro-carbon rich sea. China officially protested against the move as China still claims Taiwan as a part of its territory, although it doesn’t control it.

Subi is one of the reefs China has built into artificial islands to help stake its claim to sovereignty.

According to author and chief geopolitical analyst for Stratfor Robert D. Kaplan, “the South China Sea functions as the throat of the Western Pacific and Indian oceans – the mass of connective economic tissue where global sea routes coalesce”.

However, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia all have competing claims, many of them United States allies who have turned to Washington for military back-up.