One day after US Secretary of Defence James Mattis accused Beijing of applying “intimidation and coercion” policies in the islands within the South China Sea, reports came in of two US B-52 bombers flying in the direction of some concerned islands in the region. The CNN broadcasted the news of the two nuclear-capable Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers making a turn near the contested Spratly Islands, the report of which had been divulged by a US defence official himself.
The respective official also detailed on the fact that the mission’s initial flight plan called for the strategic bombers to fly about 20 miles from the Spratlys. However, spokeswoman of the US Pacific Air Force, Captain Victoria Hight denied all accusations of any bombers being intentionally flown in the near vicinity of the islands. Lt. Col. Chris Logan also gave a statement announcing that the entire operation was part of US Pacific Commands “Continuous Bomber Presence” missions which had been routinely employed to maintain the readiness of US forces since March 2004. All flights and missions undertaken by bomber jets as part of the CBPs are always initiated in accordance with international law, and thus leave no space for territorial arguments.
Claims to the Spratly Islands have been made mostly by Beijing, but also by Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Taiwan, none of which have been recognized by either of the involved countries. Despite the refusal, China has continued to develop man made islands in an around the Spratlys, most of which contain military facilities and house anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles – a decision which was widely opposed by most of the world, with the US even going as far as to threaten the ‘blowing apart’ of such an island.