U.S. Admiral Says His South China Sea Surveillance Flight ‘Routine’

 Admiral Scott Swift, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet

Reuters, 20/07 12:30 CET

By James Pearson and Ben Blanchard

SEOUL/BEIJING (Reuters) – A top U.S. Navy admiral said he joined a routine surveillance flight over the disputed South China Sea on Saturday, drawing a stern rebuke from China which said such activities seriously damaged mutual trust between the two countries.

Admiral Scott Swift, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, confirmed at a press roundtable in Seoul on Monday that he had been aboard the seven-hour flight of a Boeing P-8 surveillance plane, but gave no specific details about the flight.

In May, Beijing called a P-8 surveillance flight carrying a CNN team over the South China Sea “irresponsible and dangerous”.

Swift said his flight was routine, like the earlier CNN flight, and did not say if China responded to Saturday’s patrol.

“We have forces deployed throughout the region to demonstrate the United States commitment to freedom of navigation,” said Swift, adding the flight allowed him to see “first-hand” new operational capabilities in the fleet.

Swift said communications with China at sea were “positive and structured”. “They’re normalized, if you will,” he 

Full article available here: SCS Surveillance Flight

Source: Euronews