The US secretary of state, John Kerry, dismissed media reports that revealed a US plan to send aircraft to challenge China, saying that such stories did not reflect any political decision by the US government.
Kerry also took the opportunity to underscore the US government's nonpartisan position on the South China Sea issue.
So, when a US P-8A anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft flew over waters off the Spratly islands on Wednesday, alarm bells went off.
Was the move a result of discord between the US military and the US government?
Was there truth in Kerry's earlier statements, or is there cause to doubt the US role in the South China Sea?
The bottom line: Is the US a troubleshooter, as it has always emphasized, or a troublemaker.
Read the full story at Want China Times