China scrambles jets to new defense zone, eyes U.S., Japan flights

Reuters ^ | Fri Nov 29, 2013 11:58am EST | Ben Blanchard and Roberta Rampton

[Zhang Fei]

(Reuters) - China scrambled jets on Friday in response to two U.S. spy planes and 10 Japanese aircraft, including F-15 fighters, entering its new air defense zone over the East China Sea, state news agency Xinhua said, raising the stakes in a standoff with the United States, Japan and South Korea.

The jets were scrambled for effective monitoring, Xinhua cited air force spokesman Shen Jinke as saying. The report gave no further details.

Japan and South Korea flew military aircraft through the zone, which includes the skies over islands at the heart of a territorial dispute between Japan and China, the two countries said on Thursday, while Washington sent two unarmed B-52 bombers into the airspace earlier this week in a sign of support for its ally Japan. None of those aircraft informed China.

The Pentagon has declined to offer specifics on any additional U.S. flights and it neither confirmed nor denied the Chinese report of two U.S. spy aircraft entering the zone.

One U.S. defense official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said only the U.S. military was still flying routine missions in the region, including reconnaissance and surveillance flights.

[G Larry]

As much as I’d love to see one or more Chinese fighters splashed, Obama is NOT the man for the job.

He’d probably issue an apology before the missiles were fired.

[American Constitutionalist]

Hope they can bring Australia into the mix also.

[sergeantdave]

“Is another Wrong Way incident in the pipeline? “

LOL!

The 50 IQ ChiComm apes own an aircraft carrier and 90% of the pilots landed below the waterline.

That’s why the carrier has been in drydock for the past 18 months - patching really big holes so the carrier don’t sink.

Always appreciate good humor, buddy. Semper Fi.