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China’s military said on Saturday its air and naval forces conducted maneuvers in a disputed area of the South China Sea, hours after the country’s top diplomat discussed ways of reducing regional tension with his US counterpart.
The news came after the Philippines said it would hold joint drills with its allies in its 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone, which is partly occupied by China.
New Zealand for the first time joined the Philippines as well as the United States, Australia and Japan, in exercises intended to demonstrate their “enhanced cooperation and interoperability,” Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said in a statement on Saturday.
Brawner did not immediately disclose the exact area in the West Philippine Sea where the drills were held. But in a statement on Saturday night, the AFP said the joint exercises were conducted in maritime areas under the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom).
Nolcom’s areas of responsibility cover the regions in Northern Luzon and their surrounding waters, including Benham Rise northeast of the country’s main island, as well as Central Luzon and its surrounding waters—including Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, which China seized in 2012 following a standoff with the Philippine Navy.
The Southern Theater Command of China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) had said it would conduct “routine” early warning and reconnaissance exercises as well as patrols around Panatag Shoal, which it called Huangyan Island.
