China warns US spy plane flying over disputed islands

Asia-Pacific, News, US May 21, 2015 , by IRIA 1 Comment

The US military has carried out its threat to fly over disputed islands in the South China Sea, defying multiple warnings by China’s navy for the surveillance aircraft to leave the area.

The Chinese navy issued warnings eight times as a US Air Force P8-A Poseidon surveillance plane on Wednesday swooped over islands that Beijing is building in the South China Sea to extend its zone of influence, CNN reported.

The Chinese navy issued warnings eight times as a U.S. surveillance plane on Wednesday swooped over islands that Beijing is using to extend its zone of influence.

The aircraft passed over the Fiery Cross Reef, where China is reportedly building an airfield and other installations.

Observers warn that the US move could escalate tensions in the region.

The series of man-made islands and the massive Chinese military build-up on them have alarmed the Pentagon, which is carrying out the surveillance flights in order to make clear the U.S. does not recognize China’s territorial claims. The militarized islands have also alarmed America’s regional allies.

Former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell told CNN’s Erin Burnett Wednesday night that the confrontation indicates there is “absolutely” a risk of the U.S. and China going to war sometime in the future.

Washington accuses Beijing of undergoing a massive “land reclamation” program in the South China Sea to extend its zone of influence in the region.

Secretary of State John Kerry warned his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Saturday about the pace and scope of Beijing’s construction projects in the disputed waterway.

“I think we agree that the region needs smart diplomacy in order to conclude the ASEAN-China code of conduct and not outposts and military strips,” he said at a news conference with Wang.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State John Kerry

China’s foreign minister indicated that while Beijing was ready to negotiate, it would not back down on the projects that fall “fully within the scope of China’s sovereignty.”

The US and most members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) want China to halt building artificial islands, which they say is aimed at strengthening its claims over parts of the South China Sea.

US officials say China has “reclaimed” about 800 hectares (2,000 acres) of dry land in the Spratly Islands, one of the disputed areas, which could be used for military purposes.

The contested territories, located in the main shipping routes passing through the South China Sea, are believed to be rich in oil and gas.

Beijing’s claims overlap with those of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.

CNN/HRJ/YN