US spy plane breaks through no-fly zone used by Chinese military

SANAA, Aug 26 (YPA) – China announced on Tuesday that a US spy plane had penetrated a no-fly zone used by its army to conduct exercises with live ammunition, calling on Washington to “immediately stop such provocations.”
Xinhua quoted a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Defense, Wu Qian, as saying that a US U-2 reconnaissance plane flew over northern China in a no-fly zone because the Chinese army uses it to conduct exercises with live ammunition.

He added that China “firmly opposes” this “apparent provocation” which “represented a breach of the rules of air and maritime safety conduct between China and the United States.”

He called on the United States to “immediately stop such provocations and take concrete steps to protect regional peace and stability,” adding that the flight of the American plane in this region “could have easily led to miscalculations and even accidents.”

This Chinese position comes against the backdrop of severe tensions between Washington and Beijing due to military, commercial and political differences.

The US Navy regularly conducts provocative operations near Taiwan and in the South China Sea, questioning China’s sovereignty over large parts of the region.