China holds live-fire drills in waters near Luzon as US, the Philippines stage war games
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Military officers at the opening ceremonies of the Balikatan exercise in Quezon City, Metro Manila, on April 20. China’s drills come as troops begin the annual military exercise.
PHOTO: EPA
BEIJING - China said on April 24 that it recently conducted military drills, including live-fire exercises, in waters east of the Philippines’ Luzon Island, as Manila and Washington host annual drills that extend to disputed areas of the South China Sea.
A formation of the Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command (STC) carried out activities that focused on live-fire shooting, sea-air coordination, rapid manoeuvres and maritime replenishments to test integrated joint combat capabilities, the command said in a statement on April 24.
The Philippine Embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Chinese military did not provide further details on the timing or exact location of the drills, but said its exercise is fully in compliance with international law and practice.
“Forces of the STC will regularly conduct corresponding military operations based on the need of the security situation to safeguard national sovereignty and security, as well as regional peace and stability,” it said.
Maritime strike drills on remote island
China has repeatedly criticised the Philippines for conducting defence exercises with its allies, saying they risk raising regional tensions.
The Balikatan exercises involving the Philippines, the US and their allies will run from April 20 to May 8, and include drills in Luzon.
The Philippines and the US will, for the first time, hold maritime strike drills on the island of Itbayat, the northernmost point of the Philippines, about 155km from Taiwan, which China views as its own territory.
Taiwan’s government rejects China’s sovereignty claims. Counter-landing live-fire drills will also take place in the Philippines’ Zambales province on the South China Sea, about 230km from the hotly contested Scarborough Shoal, a strategic atoll controlled by China.
The Philippines and China have been locked in a series of maritime confrontations in recent years, with China claiming almost the entire South China Sea, a waterway supporting more than US$3 trillion (S$3.8 trillion) of annual commerce.
Beijing has been stepping up its long-term campaign to strengthen maritime power, pursuing marine economy growth and expanding its naval force.
At a Cabinet meeting on April 24, China’s Premier Li Qiang called for efforts to strengthen China’s maritime capabilities and technological innovation, as well as to protect its maritime rights and strategic security. REUTERS
