China says it monitored flights by US bombers that defied Beijing's demands to identify selves

BEIJING – China says it monitored two unarmed U.S. bombers that flew over the East China Sea just days after Beijing declared it was asserting greater military control over the area.

Tuesday's flight of the two B-52 bombers underscored that the U.S. will not comply with China's demand that aircraft flying through its newly declared maritime air defense zone identify themselves and accept Chinese instructions.

A Chinese Defense Ministry statement released Wednesday said the planes were detected and monitored as they flew through the zone for two hours and 22 minutes. It said all aircraft flying through the zone would be monitored and asserted that China had the ability to control the airspace.

It didn't mention its threat to take action against noncompliant aircraft included in Saturday's announcement.