U.S. Bombers Fly Through China Air Zone in Boost for Japan

Two unarmed American B-52 bombers flew through disputed areas of the East China Sea covered by China’s new air defense zone, a show of support for Japan as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to expand his nation’s military.

The U.S. planes spent less than an hour in the China-claimed zone as part of an annual training exercise, said a U.S. defense official who asked not to be named discussing the deployment. The Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement that the military kept the flights under surveillance and they traveled “along the eastern edge” of the zone.

The U.S. will continue to send flights through the area, said Francois Godement, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign relations. “What they are doing is dropping their business card.” Read more...