PLA stages National Day drill in South China Sea in wake of 5-nation exercise
China conducted a naval drill in the South China Sea this week, days after its top diplomat Wang Yi accused the United States of stirring up trouble in the disputed waterway.
The People's Liberation Army drill, which coincided with China's National Day, followed an exercise involving the US, the Philippines, Australia, Japan and New Zealand that began on Saturday.
"As part of its annual military training arrangement, the PLA Southern Theatre Command organised a flotilla to carry out combat-ready cruises from September 30 to October 1 in relevant areas in the South China Sea," the Southern Theatre Command said.
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"The purpose is to raise our joint operation capability, and demonstrate our resolve in safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea area."
It did not say what ships were involved or give details about the location.
The PLA also conducted a drill around Scarborough Shoal in an area Manila claims as part of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on Friday, hours after the five nations' joint operation began.
The Philippines said the five-nation exercise was intended to demonstrate their "collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific [and enhance] ... cooperation and interoperability".
Last week Wang met the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, where he said the US should stick to its promise of seeking stable relations with Beijing.
"The United States should not stir up trouble in the South China Sea, or undermine regional countries' efforts to safeguard peace and stability there," Wang said.
China claims most of the South China Sea, but the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei all have competing claims over the resource-rich waterway.
In recent years, Manila has become more assertive in countering Beijing's territorial claims and there have been repeated clashes between the two countries' navies and coastguards in recent months.
The US, a long-standing ally of the Philippines, does not have any territorial claims to the waters but has expressed its opposition to China's claims, and conducts regular freedom of navigation operations.
In recent weeks, the US has also angered Beijing by approving more defence support for Taiwan.
On Sunday, the White House said Blinken would "direct the drawdown of up to US$567 million in defence articles and services of the Department of Defence, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Taiwan".
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China that must be reunited with the mainland - by force if necessary. The US, in common with most countries, does not recognise Taiwan as independent, but it opposes any attempt to take it by force and is committed to supplying the island with arms to defend itself.
In his National Day speech on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to achieve the "complete unification of China".
"Taiwan is a sacred territory of China, and the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are linked by blood," he said, expressing "resolute opposition" to "secessionist activities".
This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
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