U.S. Crosses Disputed China Zone

Defying China’s recent claim over its new airspace defense zone, the U.S. flew two unarmed B-52 bombers over islands in the East China Sea without informing Beijing of its plans. The White House has called the announcement “unnecessarily inflammatory” and urged China to find a diplomatic solution to its dispute with Japan over the islands in question. The flight, a U.S. military official said, was simply part of a training exercise that was planned long before China announced its new airspace rules.