BEIJING: China’s navy conducted a patrol in the South China Sea on Tuesday (Apr 29), saying that the Philippines has been creating “disturbances”, as the Filipino and United States air forces conducted their own joint mission above the disputed waterway.
China, which claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, has been involved in an increasingly tense stand-off with the Philippines in the waters there, as both seek to assert their sovereignty claims.
More than 14,000 Filipino and US soldiers are participating in joint exercises which run from Apr 21 through May 9 for a “full battle test” in the face of shared regional security concerns. China has said the drills are provocative.
In a statement late on Tuesday, the Southern Theatre Command of China’s People’s Liberation Army said its forces had that same day carried out “routine” patrols in the South China Sea, without giving an exact location.
“Recently, the Philippines has been frequently carrying out maritime infringement provocations, creating disturbances and pulling in countries from outside the region to organise so-called ‘joint patrols’,” it said in a statement.
The command’s naval and air forces have monitored the situation and maintained vigilance, it added.
“Troops in the theatre of operations are maintaining a high level of alert, resolutely defending the country’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and resolutely safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea region.”
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