Amid rising tensions in the South China Sea, China and the US today held separate military exercises in the disputed maritime area. Its navy and air forces were carrying out two-day “routine patrols” at sea that began yesterday, the Chinese military said today.
The US, in turn, announced that a naval group around the nuclear aircraft carrier “USS Carl Vinson” was carrying out joint exercises with the allied Philippine Navy for two days. The Chinese military initially did not provide any information about the exact location of the exercises or the number of soldiers or aircraft involved. A US statement said the US Navy “regularly conducts these exercises to strengthen relationships with allied nations and partners.”
Dispute between China and Philippines
The maneuvers come against the backdrop of weeks of disputes between China and the Philippines over maritime areas, which have recently worsened significantly. There were, among other things, several collisions between ships from both countries.
Beijing has blamed Manila for the rising tensions. China's Foreign Ministry said Manila “broke its word, changed its policies, violated China's sovereignty and repeatedly made provocations, triggering complex situations.”