US-China Strategic Bombers Forward Deployment over the South China Sea

Deployment of 'B-2A' Stealth Bombers on Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean by the US
China Counters with New 'H-6J' Strategic Bombers on Woody Island in the South China Sea

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Amid concerns over potential military clashes between the U.S. and China over sovereignty in the South China Sea, the United States has deployed stealth bombers (B-2A) to Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean.

China has also deployed its new strategic bomber, the 'H-6J,' to Woody Island (Chinese name: Yongxingdao) in the South China Sea to counter the U.S.

On the 13th (local time), Voice of America (VOA) and Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, citing a U.S. Air Force press release, that three B-2A bombers have been deployed to the U.S. military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

Diego Garcia Island is located about 1,200 km south of Mauritius and is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago).

The Chagos Archipelago remained a British territory even after Mauritius gained independence from the UK in 1968, and Mauritius has been demanding its return. The UK leased Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago, to the U.S., which uses it as a military base. The Diego Garcia U.S. military base is strategically very important as it is within striking distance of East Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the South China Sea.

Chinese military experts interpret the deployment of three B-2A bombers to Diego Garcia as a clear signal by the U.S. to demonstrate military power in the Indo-Pacific region.

China also reportedly deployed the strategic bomber 'H-6J' to Woody Island (Yongxingdao) in the South China Sea, according to the Chinese state-run Global Times on the 14th.

Woody Island is a small island belonging to the Paracel Islands (Chinese name: Xisha Qundao) in the South China Sea. China occupied the island in 1956 and has since developed it into a manned island by constructing a runway to establish effective control.

The H-6J bomber is an upgraded version of the existing 'H-6G bomber' with enhanced performance, reportedly having an operational range of 3,500 km. Its anti-ship missile carrying capacity is said to be twice that of the H-6G bomber.

The Global Times emphasized that the deployment of the H-6J enables China to deter U.S. aircraft carriers and other forces.