US bombers fly near South China Sea

China says it respects navigation freedom; Japan spots Chinese spy ship

Two US B-52 bombers flew close to disputed islands in the South China Sea claimed by Beijing and were given verbal warnings from a Chinese air traffic controller, the Pentagon has said. It is just the latest challenge from Washing-ton to Beijing over the fate of the Spratly Islands, after the guided missile destroyer the USS Lassen last month sailed past a series of islets in Subi Reef in the Spratly chain.

It also comes ahead of a visit to Asia next week by President Barack Obama that will see territorial disputes at the fore of discussions with regional leaders, several of whom have claims in the resource-rich South China Sea. “On a flight that took off and returned to Guam on November 8 and 9 respectively, two B-52s flying a routine mission in international airspace in the vicinity of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea received two verbal warnings from a Chinese ground controller despite never venturing within 15 nautical miles of any feature,” said a Pentagon spokesman.

China said on Friday that it respects freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea despite reports its ground controllers issued warnings to US strategic bombers flying over the area this week. Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said that China opposed flights that used such freedoms as mere legal cover, strongly implying that Beijing considered the flights by the B-52 bombers on Sunday and Monday as an excuse to challenge China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea. China “firmly opposes violating international law and undermining China’s sovereignty and security interests under the pretext of navigation and overflight freedom,” Mr Hong said.

Meanwhile, Japan said on Friday it was monitoring waters near islands disputed with China in the East China Sea after it spotted a naval intelligence ship from the country operating in a new area. Japan’s defence ministry said late Thursday a P-3C patrol aircraft obse-rved the intelligence vessel near territorial waters of the Senkaku Islands, which Japan administers but China claims as the Diaoyus.