China dislikes a US Air Force B-1 Bomber flying over the East China Sea. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) put the US on notice Wednesday after issuing a warning to the Pentagon for sending a military aircraft. The East China Sea limits with Shanghai to the west, South Korea to the north, and Japan to the east.
A US military official confirmed the presence of the B-1 near South Korea, which was disliked by China. Sputnik reports that two B-1s were supposed to embark on a patrol mission because of North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch. Only one missile took off, the other one needed maintenance work. United States and South Korea have been conducting military drills, dubbed Foal Eagle.
The military drills could have been the real reason for the B-1's trip, not the North Korean missile launch. The PLA told US pilots that they were illegally flying in Chinese airspace. The B-1 continued on its mission, the warplane was identified by China 70 nautical miles south from South Korea's Jeju Island.
Trump's defense budget hike
Defense Secretary James Mattis and Joe Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will make an appearance on Capitol Hill Wednesday to discuss the defense budget hike proposed by Donald Trump. United Nations specialists have noted that military spending is not enough to cut out the main causes of terrorism. This could be possible with greater investments into initiatives such as peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and sustainable economic development.
United States has spent between $4 to $6 trillion in the Middle East since the invasion of Iraq. Washington seems to be eager to increase the military expenditures despite nearly $20 trillion in debt obligations. Donald Trump wants to have a stronger military, thus, he wants to increase the military budget.
