Two US B-52 bombers are reported to
have flown over an area of the East China Sea inside China's expanded "air
defence zone" without notifing China.
The unarmed aircraft took off from
Guam on Monday and the flight was previously scheduled as part of a routine
exercise in the area, a Department of Defence spokesman said on Tuesday.
"Last night we conducted a
training exercise that was long-planned. It involved two aircraft flying from
Guam and returning to Guam," said Colonel Steven Warren, a spokesman for
the department.
No flight plan was submitted
beforehand to the Chinese and the mission went ahead "without
incident", with the two aircraft spending "less than an hour" in
the unilaterally-declared Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), he said.
An anonymous official told the AFP
news agency that the planes were B-52 bombers - the largest aircraft in the US
military's arsenal.
China last week announced the
expanded air defence zone amid a growing territorial dispute with Japan over an
island chain in the East China Sea.
The area also includes waters
claimed by Taiwan and South Korea, which also have both expressed their
displeasure at Beijing's move.
Under the rules declared by China,
aircraft are expected to provide a flight plan, clearly mark their nationality
and maintain two-way radio communication to allow them to respond to
identificationinquiries from Chinese authorities.
Japan, the United States and several
other governments have criticised China's announced air defence zone.
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