An American spy plane has entered a no-fly zone that the Chinese military is using to conduct live-fire military exercises, the Chinese official press reported on Tuesday.
The flight by this U2 reconnaissance plane over this area in northern China violates the security rules in force between the two countries, says the New China news agency, which quotes the spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense. .
The American action could easily have led to errors in judgment and even to accidents, continues New China, which qualifies the American decision of “obvious provocation”.
“China firmly opposes these provocative actions and has solemnly initiated demarches with the United States,” the news agency added.
The anger of the Chinese authorities comes against a backdrop of strong tensions between Washington and Beijing, which clash over military, commercial and political issues.
U.S. naval forces regularly conduct operations near Taiwan and in the South China Sea, challenging China’s territorial claims in the region.