China fires 2 ballistic missiles into South China Sea in warning to US

Two missiles, including one dubbed an “aircraft-carrier killer”, were fired by China into the South China Sea, in a pointed warning to the United States as tensions in the disputed sea lane reaches new levels.

This was confirmed on Thursday by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) which reported that Beijing fired one intermediate-range ballistic missile, DF-26B, from Qinghai Province and another medium-range ballistic missile, DF-21D, from Zhejiang Province on Wednesday in response to US aerial activities in a “no-fly zone” area.

According to the paper, the missiles were fired by China after a US U-2 spy plane had reportedly entered a Chinese-designated “no-fly zone” on Tuesday without permission during a live-fire naval drill conducted by China in the Bohai Sea off its north coast.

In a social media post, Liu Xiaoming, China’s ambassador to the United Kingdom said that the US move “severely disrupted” China’s normal exercises and “training activities.”

READ ALSO: ESPIONAGE ALLEGATIONS: China accuses US & its allies of ‘fabricating facts’

Zhao Lijian, China’s foreign ministry spokesman described the spy plane overflight as “provocative actions” and urged the US to stop.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity to Reuters, a US official confirmed the firing of the two missiles adding that an assessment was under way to determine the type of missile launched.

The Pentagon, meanwhile, confirmed the U-2 overflight, adding that the activity in the Indo-Pacific region was “within the accepted international rules and regulations governing aircraft flights”.

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