US warplane approaches Shanghai as tensions remain high amid consulate closures
- Anti-submarine aircraft came within 100km of the city – one of the closest passes in recent years – according to a university think tank
- US aircraft have been regularly approaching the Chinese coast
US warplanes have again approached the Chinese mainland, including one that came less than 100km away from Shanghai, as tensions between the two countries continue to rise with the tit-for-tat closures of consulates.
A P-8A anti-submarine plane and an EP-3E reconnaissance plane entered the Taiwan Strait, flying near the coast of Zhejiang and Fujian on Sunday, according to the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, a Peking University think tank.
It first tweeted about the operation on Sunday morning, later adding that the reconnaissance plane was flying back “after approaching Fujian” and “the southern part of the Taiwan Strait”.
The think tank tweeted again at night, saying the US Navy P-8A was operating near Shanghai, with the USS Rafael Peralta, a guided missile destroyer, following a similar route, asking “might be a joint operation?”.
According to a chart from the think tank, the P-8A came within 76.5km (47.5 miles) of Shanghai, the closest any US planes have come to mainland China in recent years, while the other plane came within 106km of Fujian’s southern coast.
It was the 12th day in a row that US military planes have approached the mainland coast.