Two U.S. B-52 bombers flew over the South China Sea this week,... infuriating Beijing.
The move came a couple of days before U.S. defense chief James Mattis and his Chinese counterpart met to discuss a number of issues,... including their disputes in the hotly-contested area.
Lee Seung-jae reports.
Two B-52 U.S. bombers ripped over the South China Sea on Tuesday,... a move many say was a power play,... signaling Washington's determination to continue to fly and sail wherever international law allows.
The move also came ahead of a key meeting between the defense chiefs of the U.S. and China on Thursday.
While the Pentagon did not specifically identify which islands the aircraft flew by,... open-source flight tracking data shows they may have been near the Spratly Islands.
That's the location of a recent showdown between a U.S. warship and a Chinese destroyer,... as two vessels nearly collided.
Following that incident,... U.S. Vice President Mike Pence warned that his country "will not stand down".
Watchers says the flight was intended to send a message that the U.S. will not change its behavior in response to China's aggression at sea,... while Beijing described the flights as "provocative".
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday that Beijing always respects and upholds the freedom of navigation and overflight enjoyed by other countries under international law.
It added that it firmly opposes countries that act to undermine the sovereign and security interests of other countries and disrupt regional peace and stability under the pretext of 'freedom of navigation and overflight.'
However, according to reports from the Associated Press,... the meeting between the defense chiefs was described as " straightforward and candid",... with Pentagon officials saying relations with the Chinese military may be stabilizing.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
