China said its navy and air force conducted patrols in the South China Sea, an event that comes as the US and the Philippines hold maritime drills in the same region, reflecting the rising tensions in the contested waterway.
The “routine” operations on Wednesday and yesterday aim to “resolutely safeguard China’s sovereignty, security, and maritime rights and interests,” the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said in a post on social media.
The PLA added that its forces were on “high alert” and “fully aware of and prepared for any military activities that spoil the South China Sea and create flashpoints.”
Photo: Reuters
China’s military did not say where its patrols happened or what types of aircraft and vessels were involved.
Tensions between China and the Philippines have flared in recent months, with their vessels facing off in the contested waters. Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) last month said that relations between Beijing and Manila were facing “serious difficulties” amid the friction in the body of water that Beijing claims nearly entirely as its own.
Days after Wang’s comments, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Philippine counterpart Enrique Manalo discussed “important opportunities” to further strengthen their longstanding alliance this year.
On Wednesday, the Philippine and US militaries began their second maritime drills in the South China Sea in less than two months. The Philippines deployed four naval vessels, a multi-role helicopter and an anti-submarine helicopter in the contested waters, while the US dispatched an aircraft carrier, a cruiser, two destroyers and multiple combat aircraft.
The Philippines and the US resumed joint patrols in the South China Sea in November after they had been halted for years. The PLA said around that time that a frigate was also conducting patrols in the sea.
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