US sends B-52 bombers to the East Sea and the East China Sea
(Baonghean.vn) - The Pentagon announced on September 26 that US B-52 bombers conducted transit operations in the East Sea and the East China Sea, amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade tariffs.
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| B-52 bomber. Photo: AP |
Pentagon spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Dave Eastburn said that on the evening of September 25, the heavy bombers "participated in a coordinated, regularly scheduled operation in the East China Sea."
Meanwhile, a defense official said the nuclear-capable aircraft was escorted by Japanese fighter jets, and the flight was part of the Pentagon's "continuous bomber presence" in the region.
Earlier in the week, B-52s flew through “international airspace over the South China Sea,” Mr. Eastburn added.
Defense Secretary James Mattis said he was not concerned that US transit flights would increase tensions with China.
“If it was 20 years ago and they hadn’t militarized the features there, it would be another bomber on its way to Diego Garcia or wherever. So there’s nothing unusual about it, just like ships passing through this area are normal,” Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon.
These flights are routine, but often meet with angry reactions from Beijing. Last June, the Chinese Foreign Ministry declared that no military ship or aircraft could shake China's determination to protect its territory, after US B-52 bombers flew near disputed islands in the East Sea./.
