China patrolling S. China Sea amid US naval drill with allies

The Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army said that air and naval units under the command would conduct “joint combat patrols,” Anadolu Agency reported.

The statement highlighted that “military activities aimed at sabotaging the situation in the region and creating crisis points are under control,” without mentioning the US or the other countries.

The defense ministers of the four countries in a joint statement released on Saturday announced that they would conduct joint exercises in the South China Sea to “uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight and respect for maritime rights under international law.”

The statement said the exercise would take place in the area known as the West Philippine Sea, the official designation by the government of the Philippines to the parts of the South China Sea that are included in the country’s exclusive economic zone.

The West Philippine Sea is subject to sovereignty disputes between China and the Philippines.

According to Anadolu Agency, tensions have recently escalated in the region, leading to clashes between coast guard ships of the two countries.