China Accuses US of ‘Serious Military Provocation’ Over B-52 Fly By

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.

Two US B-52 bombers flew close to islands in South China Sea this month in a “serious military provocation”, Beijing said Saturday, as tensions simmer in the disputed waterway.

A Defense Ministry statement Saturday says the U.S.is deliberately raising tensions in the disputed region.

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

“The majority of the region is concerned about the actions taking place in the South China Sea”. From the incursions of the USS Lassen and the B-52 bombers into Chinese waters and airspace, and the U.S.’ decision to sell another arms package to Taiwan, an inalienable part of China, it is crystal clear that it is the world’s sole superpower that is militarizing not only the South China Sea but the region at large.

At the time, China referred to the destroyer sail-by as an “extremely irresponsible” move.

“This was not a Freedom of Navigation operation”, said Urban, referring to regular US Navy missions conducted to challenge what the United States believes are excessive territorial claims made by other countries.

Analyst Brig. (Retd) Gurmeet Kanwal said China had not mellowed following the declaration of the Malabar trilateral. We are looking into the matter… for this mission there was no intention of flying within 12 nautical miles of any feature.

The political wrangling over the Spratly Islands will intensify in 2016 because the worldwide Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, has agreed to hear the Philippines’ claims.

“I think this kind of increase in military deployment by the United States and the push for regional militarization does not fit with the joint long-term interests of the countries in this region”, Hua Chunying, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, said.