Backgrounder: Recent U.S. provocations in South China Sea
Xinhua, March 11, 2016 Adjust font size:
Despite its promise to stay neutral over the South China Sea issue, the United States has taken a clearly lopsided approach favoring China's rival claimants and even staged various military maneuvers that infringed upon China's sovereignty.
The following is a list of recent U.S. provocations in the South China Sea:
On Jan. 30, 2016, a U.S. Navy-guided missile destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Zhongjian Dao, part of China's Xisha Islands, without prior notice to the Chinese side.
The Pentagon later claimed it was a "Freedom of Navigation" mission. As experts have pointed out, such an operation does not accord with international law and disregards the sovereignty, security and maritime interests of coastal countries.
On Dec. 10, 2015, two U.S. B-52 strategic bombers flew into the airspace near China's Nansha Islands. The Pentagon said the flight may have strayed off course due to weather and that an investigation had been launched.
On Oct. 26, 2015, the U.S. warship USS Lassen entered waters near Zhubi Reef without the permission of the Chinese government. Zhubi Reef is part of China's Nansha Islands.
On July 21, 2015, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Scott Swift flew a "seven-hour maritime surveillance mission" over the South China Sea aboard a P-8A Poseidon aircraft as part of a visit to the Philippines, a U.S. ally and one of the most aggressive South China Sea claimants.
On May 20, 2015, a U.S. P-8A anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft flew over waters off China's Nansha Islands. Endi