The Chinese military told a US Navy plane flying over the highly-disputed island in the South China Sea to “leave immediately”. The US Navy P-8A Poseidon jet was flying at 16,500 feet to get a view of low-lying coral reefs that have been turned into garrisons with five-storey buildings, large radar installations, power plants and runways sturdy enough to carry large military aircraft.
During the flight that was giving journalists from CNN a rare look at the islands, the crew was warned six times by the Chinese military to get out of their territory. A voice said: “US military aircraft, this is China … leave immediately and keep out to avoid any misunderstanding.” Each time the aircraft was challenged by the Chinese military, the US Navy crew’s response was the same. READ MORE