China’s military conducted joint air and naval combat drills around the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, the People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command said in a statement on Saturday.
Details of the Drills
The drills were held in the airspace and territorial waters around the shoal, which China calls Huangyan Dao. Chinese military described the exercise as a necessary response to actions by certain countries it said were undermining regional peace and stability.
The exercise was aimed at testing and improving the combat readiness of China’s forces to defend national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, the Chinese military said. The Scarborough Shoal is also claimed by the Philippines, where it is known as Bajo de Masinloc.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
