HONG KONG: China deployed two long-range H-6 bombers across the Scarborough Shoal this week, in Beijing’s newest transfer to claim sovereignty over the hotly disputed atoll within the South China Sea, satellite tv for pc pictures obtained by Reuters confirmed.
The deployment, which was not publicised by China, got here forward of US Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth’s go to to the Philippines, which additionally claims the shoal that lies inside its unique financial zone of 200 nautical miles.
China’s defence ministry didn’t instantly reply to questions from Reuters on the size of the deployment or whether or not it was timed to coincide with Hegseth’s journey.
Officers from the Philippines Nationwide Safety Council and navy didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
Throughout a go to to Manila on Friday, Hegseth reaffirmed the USA’ “ironclad dedication” to its mutual defence treaty with the Philippines, saying China’s actions made deterrence needed within the South China Sea.
Monday’s pictures taken by Maxar Applied sciences present two plane east of Scarborough Shoal, which China calls “Huangyan Dao”.
Lately, Chinese language coast guard vessels have clashed steadily with Philippine fishermen close to the mouth of atoll, which China has at occasions tried to dam because it seized de facto management of the shoal in 2012.
Final month, the Philippines coast guard accused the Chinese language navy of performing harmful flight manoeuvres close by.
A world arbitration tribunal within the Hague dominated in 2016 that China’s claims had no authorized foundation, however Beijing rejected that call.
In an e-mail to Reuters, Maxar stated the plane within the pictures had been H-6 bombers, including that “rainbow colors” near them resulted when satellite tv for pc pictures of fast-moving objects had been processed.
