The US intends to keep creating the tension of the Taiwan question to provoke China rather than to ease the tension, analysts said on Thursday, as US President Joe Biden's administration has approved a military transfer to the island of Taiwan under the Foreign Military Financing, or FMF, which is normally used for sovereign states.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has launched a new type of frigate, the Type 054B, China's Ministry of National Defense confirmed on Thursday.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) recently conducted an anti-submarine exercise that stretched for more than 40 hours and featured more than a dozen groups of anti-submarine patrol aircraft in the South China Sea, which is a region experts said is infested with foreign submarine activities that potentially threaten China's national defense.
The water quality and physiochemical properties collected at Yongshu Reef, Nansha Islands have been found to be similar to those of a natural salt marsh, meaning the Reef has a saline marsh with naturally grown vegetation.
Positive China-Africa cooperation can inject more stability into the world, Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu said at the Third China-Africa Peace and Security Forum that kicked off on Tuesday in Beijing. Some defense officials and military officers from African countries also hailed the China-proposed Global Security Initiative (GSI), noting the deepened China-Africa cooperation could help tackle security challenges the continent is facing.
In a first since Pakistan inducted Chinese-made J-10CE fighters into its air force, the two countries kicked off a joint air exercise on Monday, with experts saying on Tuesday that the drill will further enhance exchanges and cooperation between the two militaries and contribute to regional peace and stability.
China reportedly launched the first hull of its new-generation frigate, allegedly designated the Type 054B, in Shanghai last week, with observers expecting it to be an advanced but also cost-effective versatile vessel for far sea operations.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) recently conducted another, unannounced large-scale joint exercise encircling the island of Taiwan featuring sudden actions and sophisticated buildups after the US approved a $500 million arms sale to the island.
With groups of people waving goodbye, China's naval hospital ship the Ark Peace sailed from Honiara Harbor on Saturday morning after it successfully concluded its weeklong visit and dispensing medical services to the Solomon Islands. Similar to its arrival, the shores were filled with crowds bidding farewell, with their sentiments toward the hospital ship evidently profound. For them, the opportunity to receive medical treatment aboard the Ark Peace was a rare one.
In the first joint exercises between the two countries, Australian and Filipino troops held drills on Friday near flashpoint South China Sea waters and plan to conduct more joint patrols at a time when tensions between China and the Philippines have been escalated.
The US recently approved a possible sale of infrared search and track (IRST) systems for F-16 fighter jets to the island of Taiwan in an apparent move to counter J-20 stealth fighter jets of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), which experts said on Thursday will prove to be futile.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command recently conducted a maritime strike and air-to-air combat exercise featuring newly enhanced fighter jets operating from an islet-based airfield. Organized by an aviation brigade affiliated with the navy of the PLA Southern Theater Command, the round-the-clock drill focused on the characteristics of the islet-based airfield, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Wednesday, without naming the islet.
A ship detachment of the Russian Pacific Fleet is visiting China following intensive interaction between the two countries' navies over the past month, which demonstrates a high level of mutual trust and military cooperation, experts said on Tuesday. The Russian warships made a port call in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province, after the third China-Russia joint naval patrol of Pacific Ocean waters, Russia's Ministry of Defense said in a press release on Monday.
China Coast Guard (CCG) on Tuesday restricted Philippine vessels trespassing into waters near China's Ren'ai Jiao (also Ren'ai Reef) in the South China Sea but under humanitarian consideration, temporarily allowed the transport of food to the Philippines' “grounded” warship.
The Philippines will reportedly not participate in a US-Japan-Australia joint exercise in the South China Sea this week, a move analysts said on Monday showed that the Philippines is trying to find a balance under US pressure to take advantage of Manila as a foothold in the region against China.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) launched a sudden and swift joint exercise around the island of Taiwan on Saturday that was not anticipated by the island's defense authority despite the island's separatist deputy regional leader Lai Ching-te's provocative "stopovers" in the US, as the drills displayed the PLA's growing combat readiness and its capability to completely control the region, experts said on Sunday.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced on Saturday that it is holding a joint exercise around the island of Taiwan, following the return of the island's separatist deputy regional leader Lai Ching-te from his "stopovers" in the US.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command on Thursday released a video displaying its combat readiness in a move experts said sends a stern warning to "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces amid US "stopovers" by the island of Taiwan's deputy regional leader Lai Ching-te.
Chinese troops arrived in Thailand on Wednesday shortly before a joint army exercise focusing on counter-terrorism, with analysts saying that consecutive military exchanges between China and Thailand highlight a high level of development in the two countries' security cooperation.
Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu on Tuesday attended the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security in Moscow, where he delivered a speech and lauded China-Russia military relations as a model of non-aligned, non-confrontational cooperation that does not target any third party.
Starting in 2023, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force has been practicing new methods of drone combat, including remote controlled takeoffs and landings and jointly operating with other military services and branches.
Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu is scheduled to visit Russia, attend an international security conference in Moscow and visit Belarus this week, a move experts said on Monday will contribute to peace and stability, help resolve contradictions in the Ukraine crisis and boost China's military cooperation with the two countries.
A recent report by Voice of America (VOA) disagreed with a Global Times report that called US arms sales to the island of Taiwan outdated and overpriced, and the VOA arguments attempting to justify the US weapons' high prices and technological capabilities were slammed by military experts on Sunday as pale and self-conflicting, as it further verifies the facts that VOA just wanted to contradict.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force has carried out joint training between an armed reconnaissance drone and two fighter jets, with experts saying on Thursday that manned-unmanned integration with only a few aircraft can complete operational level strike missions. The undated training at an undisclosed location featured a GJ-2 armed reconnaissance drone and two J-16 fighter jets, according to a report by China Central Television (CCTV) on Thursday, which unveiled such an exercise to the general public for the first time.
The defense authority on the island of Taiwan observed increased activities by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) this week ahead of planned "stopovers" in the US by a die-hard secessionist, and following irresponsible remarks by a former Japanese prime minister during his visit to Taiwan island.
As China and the Philippines have been quarreling over the Philippines' illegal transportation of construction supplies to China's Ren'ai Jiao (also known as Ren'ai Reef), in order to incite Manila to further provoke China to ramp up the tension, several Western countries led by the US have expressed backing for the Philippines' illegal acts in the South China Sea while condemning China's legitimate, restrained and professional responses.
Amphibious assault ships are an important combat force of new quality and serve as a "fist" in safeguarding national unity, said the captain of China's first Type 075 amphibious assault ship.
China and Russia's third joint naval patrol that allegedly reached international waters near Alaska last week has touched the nerves of US media, which hyped the voyage as "highly provocative," ignoring the fact that the US constantly sends warships and warplanes to China's doorsteps for close-in reconnaissance and military exercises under the so-called freedom of navigation.
In response to the Philippines' accusation toward China on the latter's expelling of Philippine vessels around China's Nansha Islands, China Coast Guard (CCG) on Monday criticized the Philippines for disregarding China's repeated dissuasion and warnings and said that its recent intrusion into the waters around the Ren'ai Reef is a violation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, urging the Philippines to remove the grounded warship and restore the original state of the Ren'ai Reef.
China recently unveiled a number of unmanned intelligent technologies, including a drone swarm system capable of "self-repair" and an augmented reality (AR) interaction system that allows individual infantry soldiers to control multiple unmanned aircraft or vehicles.
China Coast Guard (CCG) on Saturday drove away Philippine vessels intruding into waters near Ren'ai Jiao of China's Nansha Islands.
With the secessionist deputy regional leader on the island of Taiwan Lai Ching-te, who is also a candidate for the election of next regional leader, scheming to make a transit visit to the US in August shortly after the one-year anniversary of then US house speaker Nancy Pelosi's provocative visit to the island, tensions around the island of Taiwan continue to build up.
A YU-20 tanker aircraft of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force and a J-15 carrier-based fighter jet of the PLA Navy have conducted their first in-flight refueling exercise. Experts said on Wednesday that this exercise has displayed the systematic integration among different PLA services and will enhance the capabilities of Chinese aircraft carriers.
On Tuesday, with the morning's first rays of sunshine, the "heroic city" of Nanchang, East China's Jiangxi Province, held a flag-raising ceremony at Bayi Square to celebrate the 96th anniversary of the August 1 Nanchang Uprising and the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).
As China's Army Day comes on Tuesday, the Chinese armed forces are called for to continue to modernize and accomplish entrusted tasks at a time when China's security situation is facing rising instability and uncertainty.
China announced on Monday that its air force will for the first time hold a joint exercise with its counterpart from the UAE, which is expected to further enhance military cooperation after the signing of a warplane deal between the two countries earlier this year, analysts said.
Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), on Monday presented certificates of order to promote the commander of the rocket force Wang Houbin and its political commissar Xu Xisheng to the rank of general.
The aircraft carrier Shandong of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy recently conducted a series of exercises in which it had made new breakthroughs, with Chinese experts saying on Sunday that the carrier could soon embark on its second far sea voyage beyond the "first island chain."
Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the need to speed up efforts to boost the modernization of the armed forces.
US weapons deliveries to the island of Taiwan are intended to instigate conflict in the Taiwan Straits in a move to contain China while hiding behind the scenes, experts said on Sunday, after China slammed the US for its first military aid package to the island under the US Presidential Drawdown Authority.
The Chinese Ministry of National Defense on Saturday expressed strong opposition to the Japanese government describing China as its an "unprecedented and greatest strategic challenge" in a white paper released on Friday. The spokesperson noted that it is Japan that is moving further down the path of military expansion, posing a serious threat to regional and global peace, security and stability.
The Chinese Ministry of National Defense on Saturday expressed strong opposition to the Japanese government describing China as its an “unprecedented and greatest strategic challenge” in a white paper released on Friday.
China's domestically developed large aerial tanker, the YU-20, is a versatile aircraft capable of not only in-flight refueling, but also transporting, airdropping and medical care, an Air Force pilot explained during an ongoing military open-house event.
On Thursday, the 70th anniversary of the victory of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53), a current member of a heroic Chinese Air Force unit that emerged victorious in the war vowed to be ready for combat.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force open-day event and the Changchun Aviation Exhibition kicked off in Changchun, Northeast China's Jilin Province, on Wednesday, with 45 aircraft of 13 types delivering a spectacular visual show to the audience, many of whom said they could feel the atmosphere of combat and the PLA Air Force's readiness and vigilance in safeguarding the country's skies.
China and Russia will soon launch their third joint naval patrol, which will see both sides' warships sail into West and North Pacific waters following the Northern/Interaction-2023 joint exercises in the Sea of Japan.
China and Russia successfully wrapped up the four-day Northern/Interaction-2023 joint exercises in the Sea of Japan on Sunday and are expected to switch to the next phase of joint naval and air patrols in the Pacific Ocean.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) recently conducted a crosssea troop transport exercise using a large ferry ship, which could play a vital role in large-scale amphibious landing missions, experts said on Sunday.
China and Thailand recently wrapped up joint air combat exercises held in Thailand featuring advanced aircraft from both sides, with experts saying on Sunday that the drills boosted the combat and joint operational capabilities of both countries' aviation forces with the sharing of experiences valuable to each other.
The largest ever ongoing Australia-US joint military exercise, which involves 13 countries, has been deemed as a "paper tiger" by Chinese experts. Though impressive on paper, the exercise cannot really persuade all participants to serve the US' purpose, experts said.
Chinese warplanes in active service will deliver mock combat demonstrations among other flight performances to the general public at the upcoming People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force open-day event in a move to show its development on a path toward becoming world-class.
China's CH UAV company announced recently that it is developing a new type of super-long-range loitering munition which delivers a number of new functions.
With a Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy destroyer designated as the command ship, the China-Russia Northern/Interaction-2023 joint military exercise kicked off in the Sea of Japan on Thursday.
US politicians on a House Armed Services subcommittee and the UK spy agency chief have recently gone on another round of hyping the "China threat theory" and demonize China in the field of AI technology, with experts saying on Thursday that these acts aim to use ideology to politicize the issue of AI, and to legitimize the acts of Washington and London in containing or cutting off normal cooperation and exchanges between Western companies, science technology institutions and their Chinese counterparts.
Naval and aviation forces of China and Russia are preparing for the Northern/Interaction-2023 joint exercise in the Sea of Japan, with experts saying on Tuesday that Chinese warplanes are expected to operate from a Russian airfield, enabling quick response to potential threats in the Sea of Japan.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command recently conducted its first medical evacuation exercise featuring helicopters transferring the wounded from frontier islands to the mainland, a move experts said on Tuesday could lower casualties in potential island defense and amphibious landing missions.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) recently ramped up warship activities around the island of Taiwan, breaking the record for the number of vessels deployed in its drills in the region.
Chinese Ministry of National Defense announced Saturday that Russia will dispatch naval and air forces to participate in "Northern/Interaction-2023" drills in the central region of the Sea of Japan organized by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Northern Theater Command. The event marks Russia's second time participating in the PLA annual strategic drills, and also a first that Russia has dispatched both naval and air forces to participate in similar events, according to Chinese military observers.
The Chinese naval flotilla warships and ship-borne helicopters to participate in the "Northern/Interaction-2023" military drills have left military port in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province on Saturday morning, heading to the designated waters to carry out training missions. As scheduled by militaries of China and Russia, Russia will dispatch naval and air forces to participate in the drills.
Less than a month before the 96th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on August 1, President Xi Jinping on July 6 inspected the headquarters of the PLA Eastern Theater Command in East China's Jiangsu Province and stressed efforts to focus on the goals for the centenary of the PLA in 2027 and break new ground for theater command development and war preparedness.
An exclusive audio recording appeared to show that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) sent stern warnings to US P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft and asked it to turn around while the latter was transiting through the Taiwan Straits on Thursday in a provocative move.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) deployed combat aircraft to deal with a US spy plane's transit through the Taiwan Straits on Thursday, which followed large-scale PLA exercises over the past two days that experts said were aimed at safeguarding China's national sovereignty and unity. A US P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft on Thursday transited the Taiwan Straits, and the PLA Eastern Theater Command deployed combat aircraft to track, monitor and deal with it throughout its entire course in accordance with laws and regulations, Senior Colonel Shi Yi, a spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command, said in a statement.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy deployed minesweeper drones alongside a manned minesweeper in a recent sea mine countermeasure exercise, with experts saying on Wednesday that unmanned vessels can enhance efficiency and lower casualty risks amid US plans to deploy sea mines against China.
Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), has signed an order to commend two outstanding military units and two individuals.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin five days after the aborted Wagner Group mutiny last month where Putin offered an "assessment" of Wagner's actions on the battlefield in Ukraine and "of the events of June 24," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying on Monday, without releasing details of the assessments.
Two Russian warships, Russian Navy corvettes RFS Sovershennyy (333) and RFS Gromkiy (335), arrived at the Shanghai port on Wednesday for their first friendly visit, the seventh by Russia's naval ships to Shanghai. The warships will conduct a series of drills with their Chinese counterparts, the flagship news paper of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) reported on Thursday.
China's recently announced export controls on gallium could hit the US defense industry, as this material, with China with China being the leading producer and supplier in the world, is widely used in advanced radar systems installed on warplanes, warships and ground installations, experts said on Tuesday.
China's most advanced J-20 fighter jet reportedly flew with a pair of newly developed engines for the first time recently, attracting news coverage from overseas media outlets, some of which claimed that with the latest update, the Chinese stealth aircraft has caught up with and surpassed its US counterparts.
The China-Thailand "Falcon Strike-2023" joint air force exercise will be held this month at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base based on an annual schedule and consensus reached by the two countries. China's security cooperation with ASEAN members, including Thailand, enhances collective defense capabilities and helps reduce regional risks and friction in the region, experts noted.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has reportedly ramped up military exercise around the island of Taiwan after the US approved a latest round of potential arms sales to the island on Thursday, with experts saying on Sunday that the PLA is fully capable of safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests.
A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy flotilla led by a Type 075 amphibious assault ship was recently spotted breaking the first island chain from straits south of Japan, marking the first time that this type of large warship was reported operating in vicinity of the island country.
China is willing to work with Vietnam to promote high-level communication, institutional construction and practical cooperation between their militaries, Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu said on Tuesday when meeting his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang, who agreed to push bilateral military ties to a new level.
China recently carried out its first technical demonstration test in which three Twin-tailed Scorpion unmanned aircraft, a type of armed reconnaissance drone that was spotted in missions around the island of Taiwan and beyond the first island chain several times, formed close formations. Supported by effective control systems, such formations of large attack drones would greatly enhance combat capabilities, experts said on Tuesday.
China has made significant breakthroughs in the development of unmanned ships, as drone vessels are now not only undergoing testing but also seeing practical deployment, the country's national broadcaster said in a recent report, with experts saying on Monday that China is in the first tier in unmanned ship technologies. Unmanned ships can carry out missions like autonomous patrol, reconnaissance, detection as well as search and rescue independently or in cooperation with others, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday.
Fighter jets of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) reportedly approached the 24-nautical-mile line of the island of Taiwan on Saturday, a move experts said on Sunday is totally legitimate and will become more frequent if "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces continue to provoke.
Military tensions between China and the US have yet to see an immediate de-escalation after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China, with both countries' warships and warplanes, including aircraft carriers, spotted operating in sensitive waters in the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea on China's doorstep over the past few days.
China's Central Military Commission (CMC) has issued a code of conduct for the social interactions of military officials, including behaviors on social media platforms.
H-6K bombers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force have carried out nighttime sorties encircling the island of Taiwan, a move experts said on Monday will become routine and will send a warning to everyone who attempts to separate the island from China.
China has begun to build a dedicated port to support deep sea research in the South China Sea, a move experts said on Sunday will serve many ocean-related activities as well as national defense.
A US Navy aircraft carrier group is reportedly operating in the South China Sea in an obvious demonstration of US strength that aims to raise tensions in the region against China, while a Chinese naval training ship is on a goodwill tour of building the peace and friendship in Southeast Asia.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's Type 055 10,000 ton-class large destroyers will likely participate in far sea escort missions, experts said on Wednesday, after reports came out confirming that one of the eight powerful warships recently conducted a mock mission for the evacuation of Chinese nationals in a foreign country in conflict.
Chinese experts on Monday refuted foreign speculations and accusations on China's nuclear arsenal modernization program. They emphasized that China having a credible nuclear force contributes to global peace and stability amidst global tensions and pressure from the United States.
New support equipment has been unveiled at the training ground at an altitude of 4,700 meters Qinghai-Xizang Plateau in Xining, Northwest China's Qinghai Province, including support modules for oil, medical service, camping and supplies to provide emergency support for mobile troops along the way.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed a new-type reconnaissance aircraft to monitor and gather intelligence on an ongoing naval exercise jointly conducted by the US, Japan, France and Canada in Pacific waters to the east of the island of Taiwan, experts said on Sunday.
Russia will participate in a military drill organized by China, senior military leaders from the two countries confirmed in a video conference held on Friday, with observers saying that China-Russia joint strategic exercises could become routine.
President Xi Jinping has called on Chinese border troops to enhance their capabilities in border defense and control to forge a "great wall of steel" along the country's borders.
Right after a two-day China-Russia joint aerial strategic patrol in the Asia-Pacific region, which set a record in the number of warplanes involved, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Thursday launched what appeared to be a large-scale exercise around the island of Taiwan.
The sixth joint aerial strategic patrol by the Chinese and Russian militaries was extended to a second day over the West Pacific on Wednesday, marking the first time such an operation was carried out in two phases in two directions, as China-Russia military cooperation continues to deepen, experts said.
The militaries of China and Russia on Tuesday carried out a joint aerial strategic patrol in the Asia-Pacific region, a move that experts said is conducive to peace and stability, offsetting the impact of consecutive US-led provocations in the region.
The recent interactions between senior Chinese and US officials are a contrast to the tit-for-tat actions and war of words between the two militaries over the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea, which analysts said highlighted the fact that China and the US have entered a more complicated phase of the game - while China is willing to stabilize bilateral relations and is open to possible cooperation, it will also firmly fight back against the US' provocations.
On the Taiwan question, Li said China will strive for the prospects of peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and greatest efforts but makes no promise to renounce the use of force. "If anyone dares to separate Taiwan from China, Chinese military will not hesitate for a second."
China's world-leading hypervelocity wind tunnel, which is expected to significantly contribute to the country's development of aerospace transport systems and hypersonic aircraft, recently passed an acceptance check, marking the success of the project.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) handled a provocative transit in the Taiwan Straits made by US and Canadian warships on Saturday, with a Chinese destroyer reportedly forcing the US vessel to alter course by cutting in front of it, showing determination and capability in countering the provocation, experts said on Sunday.
The Taiwan question bears on China's core interest and there is no room to concede or compromise. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) remains fully prepared and ready to firmly defend China's sovereignty and territorial integrity at any time, Jing Jianfeng, the PLA's deputy chief of the joint staff department of the Central Military Commission, lieutenant general, said in responding to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday during a press conference in Singapore.
It is impossible for China-US military ties to move forward according to the pace set by the US, under the circumstances that US completely disregards some basic requirements set forward by China regarding the latter's core interests and major security concerns, a Chinese military expert told Global Times on Saturday when commenting on US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's keynote speech at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, delivered earlier today.
PLA naval vessels are on their way to participate in a multinational exercise to be held in Indonesia next week. China has been holding intensive military diplomatic activities that boost understanding and exchanges to safeguard peace and stability.
Ahead of the 20th IISS Shangri-La Dialogue toward which there has been growing speculation about the meeting between the Chinese and US defense ministers, the US, following its commonly-used tactics, hyped again China's “unprofessional” intercept of a US spy plane over the South China Sea, aiming to peddle the “China threat” theory and create some “sensational topics” for the defense summit.
The US reconnaissance aircraft that was intercepted by a Chinese fighter jet was spying on and disturbing a routine exercise by the Shandong aircraft carrier group in the South China Sea, and the US' accusation calling the Chinese interception “unprofessional” is a false countercharge as the US is the one to blame, experts said on Wednesday.
Two aggressive external powers, the US and its ally Japan, are accelerating their moves to step into the South China Sea with their latest announcement of a trilateral maritime exercise with the Philippines on Thursday, the first such maneuver among them, after the US troops gained expanded access to Philippine areas earlier this year.
The US military on Tuesday accused China of conducting an “unprofessional” intercept of a US spy plane over the South China Sea, however it is the US that should reflect on its own provocative military operations near China in the first place, Chinese experts said on Wednesday.