US to continue spy flights after jets 'pursued' by China over Taiwan

[LETHALFORCE]

China tells US to halt spy plane flights

China has demanded that the United States stop spy plane flights near the Chinese coast, saying they have "severely harmed" trust, but the Pentagon insisted Wednesday it was within its rights.

The dispute comes after Taiwanese media reported two Chinese fighter jets attempted to scare off an American U2 reconnaissance plane that was collecting intelligence on China while flying along the Taiwan Strait in late June.

Beijing's defence ministry said the US must end such flights, calling them a "major obstacle" as the two Pacific powers try to put a series of military disputes behind them, China's state-run Global Times reported.

The flights "severely harmed" mutual trust, the paper quoted the ministry as saying.

"We demand that the US respects China's sovereignty and security interests, and take concrete measures to boost a healthy and stable development of military relations," it added. The defence ministry declined comment to AFP.

In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan would not give details about the recent episode but said that no US spy plane crossed into Chinese airspace.

"I can say that we fly reconnaissance missions in international airspace routinely and it is not unusual that (China) scrambles fighters," Lapan told reporters.

Lapan said that the issue showed the need for further military dialogue with China -- a priority for Admiral Mike Mullen, who earlier this month became the first chief of the US military to visit China since 2007.

"Part of the reason that we have a desire for a more robust (military) relationship and communication with the Chinese is to prevent things from developing into a crisis," Lapan said.

"There are going to be areas where we don't agree. It's our view that this is a freedom of navigation issue, that we operate in international waters and international airspace," he said.

Sino-US military relations have been plagued in recent years by periodic tensions stemming from US plans for arms sales to Taiwan and naval standoffs in the disputed South China Sea.

Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and refuses to abandon the possibility of taking the self-ruled island by force. The two sides split at the end of a civil war.

The United States recognises Beijing and not Taipei, but provides military support to Taiwan.

In the June encounter, one of the Chinese Sukhoi SU-27 fighters crossed over the Taiwan Strait's middle line, widely considered to be the boundary between Taiwan's airspace and that of the Chinese mainland, Taiwanese media have reported.

One of the Chinese jets did not leave until two Taiwanese planes were sent to intercept it, the island's United Daily News reported.

In April 2001, a US surveillance aircraft and a Chinese fighter jet collided in mid-air, killing a Chinese pilot and forcing the 24-member US crew to make an emergency landing on China's Hainan island. The Americans were freed after 11 days in an early crisis for newly elected president George W. Bush.

Mullen, writing in The New York Times on Tuesday, said that he spoke in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart General Chen Bingde about having "more frequent discussions, more exercises, more personnel exchanges."

"A good bit of misunderstanding between our militaries can be cleared up by reaching out to each other. We don't have to give away secrets to make our intentions clear, just open up a little," wrote the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

 

[Illusive]

They should've shot down the surveillance aircraft, instead of making foolish demands to US. Would've given US a strong message.

Comon China, i know you can do it

 

[Yusuf]

They should've shot down the surveillance aircraft, instead of making foolish demands to US. Would've given US a strong message.

Comon China, i know you can do it

They cannot do it unless the U2s fly over Chinese airspace

 

[LETHALFORCE]

US to continue spy flights after jets 'pursued' by China over Taiwan - Telegraph

US to continue spy flights after jets 'pursued' by China over Taiwan

Taiwan's defence ministry said it sent two F-16 fighters to intercept the Chinese Sukhoi-27 jets near the central line across the 113-mile wide Strait in late June, the first such incursion for 12 years.

The ministry said that the two Chinese jets quickly turned around. A spokesman added that he believed the incident was "an accident" and that Taiwan had been "in full control" of the situation.

China has long objected to US reconnaissance of its coastline, especially since a US spy plane and a People's Liberation Army jet collided in 2001 near Hainan island, killing the Chinese pilot. The crew of the US plane was detained for 11 days in a major diplomatic row.

Adm Mike Mullen, the top US military official, said: "We won't be deterred from flying in international airspace. The Chinese would see us move out of there. We're not going to do that, from my perspective. These reconnaissance flights are important."

But in an article for the New York Times chairman of the joint chiefs of staff stressed that the Pentagon wants to build bridges with Beijing.

Following his visit to China and his counterpart Gen Chen Bingde earlier this month, Adm Mullen said the US was considering an exchange of more junior defence officials.

"General Chen and I are considering more frequent discussions, more exercises, more personnel exchanges," he wrote.
"We both believe that the younger generation of military officers is ready for closer contact, and that upon their shoulders rests the best hope for deeper, more meaningful trust."

The relationship between China and the US should be based on "candid and forthright" talks rather than suspicion, he added.
He said that the time had come in the US to end reflexive suspicion of China, but admonished Beijing for cutting off ties whenever it didn't like "something we do".

"That can't be the model anymore. Nor can we, for our part, swing between engagement and overreaction," he wrote.
Though there are simmering fears in the region about China's increased military might, relations between China and Taiwan have eased lately as Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou has abandoned his predecessor's pro-independence stance and boosted ties with the world's fastest-growing major economy.

China still claims sovereignty over Taiwan, which the Kuomintang claimed sovereignty over in 1949 after losing control of the mainland during the communist revolution.

Though Washington has dropped official recognition of Taiwan, the US is still obliged by law to defend the country against Chinese aggression.

In January last year President Barack Obama authorised the sale of $6.4 billion (£3.9bn) in arms, including missile systems and helicopters to Taipei, prompting Beijing to suspend military contacts for a year.

The US administration is close to a final decision on whether or not to sell 66 new F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan by Oct 1.

 

[Neil]

They cannot do it unless the U2s fly over Chinese airspace

the highest number of U2 have been shoot down in china... in fifty years of flying only seven U-2s have ever been shot down: one over the Soviet Union, five over China, and one over Cuba during the Cuban missile crisis.

 

[agentperry]

how china bullies india is the same way us bully china.
in todays world history repeats itself so early. pakistan passed a law similar to AFSPA in baluchistan so politically KASHMIR PART 2 in pakistan.

 

[Yusuf]

the highest number of U2 have been shoot down in china... in fifty years of flying only seven U-2s have ever been shot down: one over the Soviet Union, five over China, and one over Cuba during the Cuban missile crisis.

The one shot down over China were operated by Taiwan and shot down flying over china.

 

[Neil]

The one shot down over China were operated by Taiwan and shot down flying over china.

even i have read about it somewhere...but yusuf bhai do u think that US will allow Taiwan to operate such a sophisticated bird...??

 

[Yusuf]

even i have read about it somewhere...but yusuf bhai do u think that US will allow Taiwan to operate such a sophisticated bird...??

In July 1960, the CIA provided the ROC with its first two U-2Cs, and in December the squadron flew its first mission over mainland China. Other countries were also covered from time to time by the 35th Squadron, such as North Korea, North Vietnam and Laos, but the main objective of the ROC 35th Squadron was to conduct reconnaissance missions assessing the PRC's nuclear capabilities. For this purpose the ROC pilots flew as far as Gansu and other remote regions in northwest China. Some of the missions, due to mission requirements and range, plus to add some element of surprise, had the 35th Squadron's U-2s flying from or recovered at other US air bases in Southeast Asia and Eastern Asia, such as K-8 (Kunsan) in South Korea, or Tikhli in Thailand. All US airbases in the region were listed as emergency/ alternate recovery airfields and could be used besides the 35th Squadron's home base at Taoyuan airbase in Taiwan. Initially, all film taken by the Black Cat Squadron would be flown to Okinawa or Guam for processing and development, and the US forces would not share any of the mission photos with Taiwan. Only in late 1960s did the USAF agree to share a complete set of mission photos and help Taiwan set up a photo development and interpretation unit at Taoyuan AB.

In 1968, the ROC U-2C/F/G fleet was replaced with the newer U-2R. However, with the coming of the Sino-Soviet split and the rapprochement between the US and the PRC, the ROC U-2 squadron stopped entering Chinese airspace, and instead only conducted electronic intelligence-gathering plus photo-reconnaissance missions with new Long-Range Oblique Reconnaissance (LOROP) cameras on the U-2R while flying over international waters. The last U-2 aircraft mission over mainland China took place on 16 March 1968. After that, all missions had the U-2 aircraft fly outside a buffer zone at least 20 nautical miles (37 km) around China.

During his visit to China in 1972, US President Richard Nixon promised the Chinese authorities to cease all reconnaissance missions near and over China, though this was also made practical because US photo satellites by 1972 were able to provide better overhead images without risking losing aircraft and pilots, or provoking international incidents. The last 35th Squadron mission was flown by Sungchou "Mike" Chiu on 24 May 1974.

At the end of ROC's U-2 operations, out of a total of 19 U-2C/F/G/R aircraft operated by the 35th Squadron from 1959 to 1974, 11 were lost. The squadron flew a total of about 220 missions, with about half over mainland China, resulting in five aircraft shot down, with three fatalities and two pilots captured, and another six U-2s lost in training with six pilots killed. On 29 July 1974, the two remaining U-2R aircraft in ROC possession were flown from Taoyuan AB in Taiwan to Edwards AFB, California, US, and turned over to the USAF.