On Saturday 23 Nov China claimed an “air defense zone” over the Japan-held Senkaku Islands, a string of uninhabited islets that China calls the Diaoyus.  This area has been one of rising tension after Japan and China continue to raise the stakes including incidents where Japan has launched fighters to challenge Chinese overflights and threatened to shoot down Chinese drones.  China responded by characterizing shooting down its drones as an act of war.     

Saturday’s Chinese escalation was responded to today by a pair of US B-52’s flying into the Chinese “air defense zone”, over the Senkaku Islands and back to Guam without identifying themselves or being challenged by the Chinese.  A long planned for joint US-Japan naval exercise is scheduled Wed in the area.  It features a carrier battle group and a flotilla of Japanese warships to practice defeating a fictional invasion of Japan.

In a supposedly unrelated development China has sortied its only prototype carrier the Liaoning, into the South China Sea.  The Liaoning left port from the northern city of Qingdao accompanied by two destroyers and two frigates to carry out “scientific research, tests and military drills”.  The Liaoning has conducted more than 100 exercises and experiments since commissioning last year.  This is the first time it has been sent to the South China Sea.