CHINA/MILITARY: “Two U.S bombers have flown over the disputed South China Sea, the U.S. Air Force said on Friday [7-7-17], asserting the right to treat the region as international territory despite China’s claim to virtually all of the waterway.
The flight by the B-1B Lancer bombers from Guam on Thursday came as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping prepare for a meeting on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Germany.
The two leaders were expected to discuss what China can do to rein in North Korea’s missile and nuclear weapon programs.
While Trump has been seeking China’s help to press North Korea, the U.S. military has, nevertheless, been asserting its ‘freedom of navigation’ rights in the South China Sea, at the risk of angering China.
Asked about the flight by the two U.S. bombers, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said there was no problem with freedom of navigation or overflight for the East and South China Seas.”
-Tim Kelly and Ben Blanchard, “U.S. bombers challenge China in South China Sea flyover,” Reuters, July 7, 2017 07:25am