U.S. officials said Saturday its two B-52 bombersdidn't intend to fly over China's artificial island inthe South China Sea, after Beijing scoldedWashington and accused them of a "seriousmilitary provocation" in the disputed waters.
美軍兩架B-52轟炸機於周六飛進了中國在南海的華陽礁上空，中方揭櫫聲明稱這是一次緊張的軍事尋釁，而美方則回應稱此舉並不是故意。
China's Defense Ministry said earlier the U.S. wasdeliberately raising tensions in the region, whereChina has been aggressively asserting its claims tomost of the man-made reefs in the sea. It reiterated that it would do whatever is necessary toprotect China's sovereignty.
中國國防部稱早前美方已銳意在該地域引發爭端，只管中國以前曾屢次誇大大部門島礁屬中國國土規模。中方表現將采用統統需要辦法掩護中國主權。
Mark Wright, a Pentagon spokesman, said that there was "no intention of flying within 12nautical miles of any feature." A senior U.S. defense official told The Wall Street Journal thatbad weather may have contributed to the pilot flying off course and into the area where Chinaclaims.
五角大樓談話人馬克·賴特誇大"B-52並無飛近12海裏的用意"。一位高等美國國防部官員稱多是因為卑劣氣象致使B-52偏離航向，進入了中國國土。
The U.S. uses pre-planned freedom of navigation operations to assert its rights to "innocentpassage" in other country's territorial waters. "The United States routinely conducts B-52training missions throughout the region, including over the South China Sea," Wright told theAssociated Press. "These missions are designed to maintain readiness and demonstrate ourcommitment to fly, sail and operate anywhere allowed under international law."
美國常以"自由飛行"來誇大本身在其他國度海疆的無害經由過程權。懷特稱："美國常常履行B-52飛翔義務，包含在南海上方，這些義務旨在堅持軍事預備，和展現美國在國際律例允準的地區飛翔、飛行和履行義務的立場。"
China's Defense Ministry demanded that Washington immediately take action to prevent suchincidents and damage to relations between the two nations' militaries. The actions by the U.S.side constitute a serious military provocation and are rendering more complex and evenmilitarizing conditions in the South China Sea," the ministry said in a statement. Thestatement said that Chinese military personnel on the island issued warnings demanding theB-52 strategic bombers leave the area.
中國國防部請求美國連忙采用辦法防止此類事宜和對兩國軍事幹系的傷害。中方稱美方的做法是一次緊張的軍事尋釁，將使南海地域局面龐雜化，乃至軍事化。國防部的聲明稱，中國在島礁上駐守的部隊告誡並驅離了這架B-52轟炸機。
Speaking to reporters on a visit to Berlin, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi drew a contrastbetween the situation in the South China Sea region and the chaos and turmoil in other partsof the world. "The situation in the South China Sea is essentially stable overall," he said.Wang also said that while China understands the concerns of nations from outside the region,they should "do more to benefit peace and stability, and not manufacture tensions or evenfan the flames."
中外洋交部長王毅在出訪柏林時代對此事作出回應，他將南海情勢與其他地域的淩亂情形作出比較，他稱"南海的團體情勢比擬穩固。"他還表現中方懂得天下其他國度對南海的存眷，然則這些國度應多為寧靜穩固做進獻，而不是制作爭端，煽風焚燒。
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