The United States has ramped up its aerial reconnaissance of the Chinese coast and the South China Sea to record levels, according to a Beijing-based think tank.
In the past week alone, US air force E-8C surveillance planes were spotted closer than 100 nautical miles to the southeast coast of Guangdong province on four separate occasions, the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI) said.
On Thursday, the think tank released a scratchy audio recording of what appeared to be a warning from the Chinese navy to a US military plane to change course or be intercepted. SCSPI said the audio had been captured by a radio amateur that morning.
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Update #1: US spy planes spotted near Taiwan flying toward China's coast (Taiwan News)
Update #2: US Military Flies Record Number of Planes Near China’s Coast in July (Antiwar.com)
WNU Editor: The US Navy's aircraft carriers have been operating in the South China Sea and near Taiwan during July. These surveillance flights are making sure there are no "surprises" out there.