The United States increased its spy flights over the South China Sea near China last month, a Chinese think tank said on Monday, amid tensions over Beijing’s claims in the region.
Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) for comment by email.
Why It Matters
China claims sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, which overlap with those of neighboring states, including the Philippines, a treaty ally of America. The strategically important sea is rich in oil and natural gas reserves and is a crucial global trade corridor.
The Pentagon has dispatched reconnaissance aircraft to the South China Sea, where they have been tracked flying near China’s coast. In the past, Beijing had demanded the U.S. military put an end to what it called dangerous “close-in reconnaissance” of Chinese territory.
What To Know
The Beijing-based South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI) reported that 79 sorties by American land-based RC-135 and P-8A reconnaissance aircraft were tracked over the South China Sea in January.
The Chinese think tank said it utilized Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data to record the U.S. spy flights. Aircraft use ADS-B to broadcast their position, altitude, speed and other data to ground stations and other aircraft for air traffic control.
#Statistics: In January 2025, 79 sorties of US military land-based reconnaissance aircraft were spotted over the #SouthChinaSea according to ADS-B data, significantly increasing compared with the number in the last month. Cases: USN P-8A and USAF RC-135V on Jan. 17 and 28. pic.twitter.com/6sdleBrhTT
— SCS Probing Initiative (@SCS_PI) February 10, 2025
According to the think tank, 65 U.S. spy flights were tracked last December, which was also an increase compared with the number from the previous month.
PACAF previously told Newsweek that its RC-135 aircraft were conducting planned, routine operations.
“PACAF remains committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific focused on fostering regional security and stability throughout the region,” the statement read.
“The U.S. is not a party to the dispute of the South China Sea,” the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., told Newsweek on Monday, accusing the U.S. of posing a “serious danger” to China’s national security by conducting close-in reconnaissance.
“China will continue to take necessary measures to resolutely defend its sovereignty and security, and work with regional countries to firmly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea,” the Chinese embassy’s statement read, without further explanation.
What People Are Saying
The Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., told Newsweek: “We urge the U.S. to stop sowing discord and inciting confrontation, respect China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in the South China Sea, stop all words and actions that are not conducive to regional peace and stability, and refrain from being a troublemaker to peace and stability in the South China Sea.”
Senior Airman Jacob Skovo/U.S. Air Force
The Pentagon said in its Chinese military power report: “Since late 2023, the [People’s Liberation Army] has reduced the number of coercive and risky air intercepts of U.S. platforms compared to the previous two years, when the [People’s Liberation Army] engaged in notably increased aggressive activity, particularly in the East and South China Seas.”
What Happens Next
The U.S. military is likely to continue its spy flights over the South China Sea. It remains to be seen whether the Chinese military scrambles to intercept any American aircraft.
