BEIJING — The Pentagon criticized what it called China’s “continued militarization” of island outposts in the disputed South China Sea, where the People’s Liberation Army…
BEIJING — The Pentagon criticized what it called China’s “continued militarization” of island outposts in the disputed South China Sea, where the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force landed long-range bombers for the first time, putting the whole of Southeast Asia within their range.
The China Daily newspaper reported on Saturday that the PLA Air Force conducted takeoff and landing training with the H-6K bomber in the South China Sea.
China is pitted against Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves.
A statement from the Chinese defense ministry late on Friday said the exercise was conducted on an island reef, but it did not specify when or where, saying only that it took place recently at a “southern sea area.”
Simulated strike
The exercise involved several H-6Ks taking off from an air base and making a simulated strike against sea targets before landing, the ministry said.
Wang Mingliang, a military expert, was quoted in the statement as saying that the exercises will help the Air Force improve its “real combat ability against all kinds of marine security threats.
