China 'vigilant' after US B-1 bombers fly over disputed waters

China has stressed that it will safeguard its territorial sovereignty, in a tacit warning to the United States, two of whose military bombers recently flew over the South China Sea.

“China’s military will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and regional peace and stability,” a Chinese ministerial source said on Friday.

“China always maintains vigilance and effective monitoring of the relevant country’s military activities in the South China Sea,” the source said in a statement, referring to the United States.

The US Pacific Command said on its website that two US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers had flown a 10-hour training mission from Guam over the South China Sea on Thursday, in conjunction with the Navy’s USS Sterett guided-missile destroyer.

A US warship in late May carried out a “maneuvering drill” within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China in the South China Sea.

The US military says it conducts such drills to exercise what is calls its right to “freedom of navigation” to show China it is not entitled to territorial waters there.

The latest exercise was part of the Pacific Command’s “continuous bomber presence” program and was not, however, described as a “freedom of navigation” exercise.

SS