Two strategic B-52 bombers took off from the U.S. base on the Pacific island of Guam, and without informing the Chinese authorities flew over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. The islands are the center of a territorial dispute between China and Japan. The flight of the bombers was a part of a major training operation, which was long planned by U.S. Air Force.
It should be noted that the Chinese government announced the creation of a new air defense zone on November 23. It covers most of the East China Sea and includes airspace over the archipelago of the Senkaku islands that is controlled by Japan. In addition, the new Chinese air defense zone partially overlaps with the air defense zone of South Korea.
Washington has previously announced an intention to ignore China's new air defense zone. According to China's requirements, when flying through the air defense zone, pilots should report their flight plan to flight control officers on the ground and respond to questions from local authorities. Otherwise, China threatened to take "extraordinary measures of defensive nature."
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