Bombers, U-2 reconnaissance aircraft and RQ-4 Global Hawk drones conduct regular “freedom of navigation” operations in the skies above the disputed waters despite China’s deployment of air defence facilities on artificial islands and reefs in the area.
General Charles Brown, commander of US Pacific Air Forces, said: “We’ve been flying in and around the South China Sea for really about the past 15 years.
“And I would probably tell you we’ve done some as recently as this week.”
General Brown said the warplanes were deployed alongside the US Navy’s anti-submarine planes and while the flyovers did not get as much media coverage as naval operations, the response from China was just as strong.
He said: “We do hear about it because we do get calls from the People’s Republic of China.”
The South China Sea is home to some of the world’s busiest trade routes and is claimed by a number of countries in the region, including China, which has built military outposts with airfields, naval harbours on its artificial islands, and deployed air defence radars and missiles there.
In recent years, there have been heated exchanges over the US Navy’s regular patrols near those outposts to challenge what Washington has branded China’s “excessive claims”.
While the White House has labelled China a “strategic rival” and the two countries are at odds on a range of fronts from trade to technology, Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe has compared the military-to-military relationship between China and the US a “stabiliser” in bilateral ties.
READ MORE:China warning: USA military expansion in Asia ‘fraught with tension’
And General David Goldfein, chief of staff of the US Air Force, said it was the US military’s job to make the work of negotiators easier.
He said: “Our job at the end of the day is to arm our diplomats to be able to negotiate to a better place, because we provided them with credible military options that not only we know we can execute, but just as important, any potential adversary knows that we can credibly execute.
“Our job is to make sure they have what they need to be able to negotiate to a better peace.”
China said today that it hoped to make a trade deal with the US as soon as possible.
This comes amid intense discussions before fresh US tariffs on Chinese imports are due to kick in at the end of the week.
Beijing today said it hoped it can reach a trade agreement with the US that will be beneficial to both sides.
Assistant Commerce Minister Ren Hongbin said: “On the question of China-US trade talks and negotiations, we wish that both sides can, on the foundation of equality and mutual respect, push forward negotiations, and in consideration of each others’ core interests, reach an agreement that satisfies all sides as soon as possible.”
The two countries are negotiating a “phase one” deal aimed at de-escalating their trade dispute, but it is unclear when an agreement can be reached.
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Washington’s next round of tariffs against Chinese goods are scheduled to take effect on December 15.
But China has demanded that some of the existing US tariffs imposed on about $375 billion worth of its exports be removed, in addition to cancellation of the tariffs on $156 billion of its remaining exports to the US.
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the two sides had talked almost daily, but there were currently no plans for face-to-face talks or a signing ceremony between Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
With less than a week to go before the deadline amid “intense” negotiations, Mr Kudlow said Mr Trump would make the final decision on the tariffs, which would hit Chinese-made mobile phones, laptop computers, toys and clothing.