US raises B-52 sized middle finger to China over East China Sea defence zone

Following yesterday's news that China had established an Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) over much of the East China Sea including the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku islands, the US airforce has demonstrated that it too knows something about belligerent foreign policy. 

"When we fly into this aerial zone, we will not register a flight plan, we will not identify our transponder, our radio frequency and our logo. Those are the four things the Chinese have publicly said are a requirement," Pentagon spokesperson Colonel Steve Warren told reporters after the ADIZ was announced. On Monday evening the US lived up to its word: two B-52 bombers flew over the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands without informing the Chinese of their presence. 

According to the Pentagon, this was part of a "long-planned training exercise" and had nothing to do with the new ADIZ, but Warren was quick to play down Chinese sabre-rattling over the new flight zone: "Nobody is talking about the possibility of armed conflict coming out of this [ADIZ decision]." 

China's sole aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, headed for the equally fraught with tension South China Sea on its first cross-sea voyage Tuesday. The Liaoning is due to carrier out exercises with parts of the Chinese fleet in the area. 

[Image via Flickr]