US flights to continue despite missiles in South China Sea – 7th Fleet chief

SYDNEY, Australia – The commander of the US Navy’s 7th Fleet said Monday that he is wary of the situation in the South China Sea being painted as a battle between the United States and China, but added the presence of a Chinese missile system on a disputed island will not stop the US military from flying over the region. US Navy Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin’s comments come a week after it was revealed that Beijing had deployed surface-to-air missiles on an island in the fiercely contested region. The US said the presence of missiles provided increasing evidence of militarization of the area by China. China subsequently accused the US of militarizing the region, saying patrols by US Navy vessels and military aircraft had escalated tensions and raised concerns about stability in the area. Last month, a US warship deliberately sailed near one of the Beijing-controlled islands in the Paracel [...]