WASHINGTON: US warplanes have flown over the disputed South China Sea, the US Air Force said Friday, a move aimed at asserting freedom of navigation rights in the hotly-contested area. When the bilateral operations concluded, “the B-1Bs proceeded to the South China Sea before returning to Andersen Air Force Base,” the statement read. It was not immediately clear when or if a second US B1-B bomber joined for the South China Sea leg of the operation. Beijing claims nearly all of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by Taiwan and Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam. China also lays claim to tiny islands in the East China Sea between Japan and the Korean peninsula, and between Japan and Taiwan.

Source: Manila Times July 07, 2017 11:03 UTC