China is holding military exercises in the disputed South China Sea coinciding with US President Joe Biden’s visits to South Korea and Japan that are largely focused on countering the perceived threat from Beijing.
The Chinese Maritime Safety Administration office in Hainan Province said the drills began on Thursday and are to continue through Monday.
It said other aircraft and vessels would be prohibited from entering the area, but gave no further details.
Photo: AP / Philippine Coast Guard
China claims the South China Sea virtually in its entirety and the crucial waterway has become a potential flashpoint for conflict in Asia. To assert its claim, it has built airstrips and other military infrastructure atop artificial islands built on coral reefs and atolls. Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam also exercise overlapping claims in the South China Sea.
Since the beginning of the month, China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, has been conducting a mission in the Sea of Japan. The Chinese Ministry of National Defense described it as “routine training” aimed at boosting performance that is “in line with relevant international law and international practice, and not targeting any party.”
China also flew a pair of long-range nuclear-capable H-6 bombers through the area on Wednesday, Chinese media reports said.
Meanwhile, the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group left their home port at Yokosuka, Japan, for a “routine at-sea period,” the US 7th Fleet said.
The ships and the carrier air wing “are expected to work with allies and partners, promote adherence to a rules-based international order, as well as maintain presence and flexibility to meet the needs of the US Department of Defense,” the US Navy said.
The Philippine Coast Guard yesterday said it had established outposts on three islands in the disputed South China Sea to monitor ship movements and promote safety.
Philippine Coast Guard Admiral Artemio Manalo Abu said the outposts on the West York and Nanshan islands and Northeast Cay, which were established this week, would be staffed by coast guard personnel and equipped with radio communications to report any incidents.
Abu did not specify how many personnel would be stationed at the new outposts, but said it is the largest deployment in the disputed region so far.
“Through these command observation posts, we improve our capabilities in promoting maritime safety, maritime search and rescue, and marine environmental protection,” Abu said in a statement.
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