BEIJING - China's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday it had monitored the entire progress of two unarmed US B-52 bombers that flew over disputed islands in the East China Sea on a training mission  without informing Beijing.

"The Chinese air force monitored the entire course and identified (them) in a timely way, ascertaining that they were US aircraft," the ministry said in a statement on its website.

"The Chinese side has the ability to effectively manage and control the relevant airspace," it added.