Chinese bombers and spy planes flying over US military bases INTERCEPTED by fighters jets
CHINA has inflamed war tensions by flying bombers and spy planes over US military bases in Japan in a brazen military display aimed at intimidating Donald Trump.
By Joshua Nevett
DailyStar.co.uk
20th November 2017
Four Chinese H-6 bombers and two intelligence-gathering aircraft were flown through international airspace in the East China Sea on Sunday.
The planes flew through the Miyako Strait near the island of Okinawa, where an estimated 62% of US military bases and 26,000 troops are located.
Japan dispatched fighter jets to intercept the planes and escort them away in what China called a “regular” military exercise.
Chinese H-6, or Tu-16, bombers are capable of taking out large enemy warships with hundreds of air-launched cruise missiles.
No violation of Japanese airspace was detected, but Tokyo, a key US ally, has accused China of “expanding and increasing” its military activity in the region.
In response, Beijing played down the incident, describing the flight as a routine part of its military strategy.
Ren Guoqiant, a spokesperson for China’s ministry of defence, said the drills did not breach international law.
China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army, will continue to hold war drills of a similar nature in the future, he told Chinese media.
Under the newly emboldened rule of President Xi Jinping, China is seeking to project military power across the globe by showing off his modernised air force and navy.
The East China Sea has been a flashpoint for provocative military behaviour from both China and Japan.
Both nations have staked a claim to the Senkaku Islands, a series of disputed territories 200 nautical miles south of Okinawa.
The islands are officially controlled by Japan, but China regularly flies aircraft near the territory.
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