A US Navy P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane flying over the contested Spratly Islands refused to alter its flight course after receiving six separate warnings from the People's Liberation Army telling it to leave the area at once.
The incident, which took place Friday, saw the US spy plane with a CNN reporter on board flying at 16,500 feet above sea level over Chinese garrisons, ignoring repeated messages from the PLA urging the US plane to “leave immediately and keep far off to avoid any misunderstanding.”
Each time, the US Navy responded with the canned line: “I am a sovereign immune United States naval aircraft conducting lawful military activities beyond the national airspace of any coastal state. In exercising these rights guaranteed by international law, I am operating with due regard for the rights and duties of all states.”
For the report, aimed at demonstrating China's militarization of the Spratlys, the US spy plane flew over four separate islands, finding Chinese Coast Guard vessels, runways, hangers, radar installations and power plants, among other facilities.
Last week, China and the 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to conduct regular military exercises without countries from outside the region in a possible Chinese bid to exclude the US from the region's affairs.
Earlier this summer, PLA Lt. Gen. He Lei said that China had a sovereign…
