China says it monitored US bombers in new defense air zone
Iran Press TV
Wed Nov 27, 2013 5:56PM GMT
China says it has monitored American B-52 bombers flight in its newly-declared territorial air defense identification zone in the East China Sea.
Chinese Defence Ministry says its forces had monitored the flight of two US bombers that flew across its newly-declared 'air defence identification zone."
'The Chinese military monitored the entire process, carried out identification in a timely manner, and ascertained the type of US aircraft,' the ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said in a statement.
China says it has established the zone, requiring all aircraft flying over the area to obey its orders, but the US, which has more than 70,000 troops stationed in Japan and South Korea, saying it will not abide by the Chinese-imposed zone.
US officials also say the bombers were in the area for less than an hour and came across no problems.
According to reports, the flights had been planned for some time and were not carried out in direct relation to China's latest declaration.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday lodged a formal complaint with the US about "irresponsible remarks" by Washington about the defense zone, which includes a chain of disputed islands in the East China Sea controlled by Tokyo.
The islands are located near a crucial shipping lane and give the owner exclusive oil, mineral and fishing rights in the surrounding waters.
On September 11, 2012, Tokyo signed a deal to buy three of the islands from their private Japanese owner in line with plans to nationalize the archipelago.
In late April, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tokyo would "expel by force" any Chinese individual landing on the islands, following an incident during which eight Chinese vessels entered the disputed waters.
Senior Chinese officials have repeatedly called on Washington not to take sides over the issue.
JR/SS
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