A bomber attached to an aviation regiment of the air force under the PLA Southern Theater Command taxies on the runway to get ready for a flight training exercise in late February, 2023. (Photo:China Military Online)

Western media on Wednesday hyped an alleged Chinese bomber deployment on an island in the South China Sea, claiming the move signaled China’s growing military capabilities. Chinese military affairs experts, however, said that even if such deployment was made, it is normal, reiterating China’s sovereignty over the island. 

Citing satellite imagery, Reuters reported Wednesday that China landed two of its “most advanced bombers” in Xisha Qundao in the South China Sea this month. The report claimed that the deployment marks the first time the long-range H-6 bombers have landed on Yongxing Dao since 2020.

Reuters also linked the movement to China-Philippines relations, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) recent activities near the island of Taiwan and the upcoming Shangri-La Dialogue forum in Singapore this weekend, claiming that the move is a gesture that some analysts described as Beijing's latest signaling of its growing military capabilities.

The Chinese side has not released official information about this alleged deployment as far as the Global Times was aware of as of press time.

Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday that Yongxing Dao of Xisha Qundao is undisputed Chinese territory, and it is very normal for China to deploy warplanes there. So Western media does not need to hype this by linking the alleged deployment to some other events.

Why Western media do not seem to be surprised about US bomber deployments from its mainland all the way to Guam, Japan or South Korea? Zhang asked.

Song Zhongping, another Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times that warplanes sometimes are not permanently deployed on South China Sea islands and reefs because of the challenging environments of high temperature, high humidity and high salinity, but they could do rotating deployments, which are very normal.

Deployments of warplanes on islands and reefs in the South China Sea aim to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Song said, also highlighting China’s sovereignty over Yongxing Dao.

In as early as May 18, 2018, the PLA Air Force announced that multiple types of bombers including the H-6K had conducted takeoff and landing exercises on a South China Sea island. Citing military commentors, some media outlets identified the island as Yongxing Dao.

In response to foreign media reports claiming that China had deployed warplanes on Yongxing Dao in 2020, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said at a regular press conference at the time that the Xisha Qundao is China's territory. China's national defense development in its own territory is within its sovereignty.