BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s navy conducted a patrol in the South China Sea on Tuesday, saying that the Philippines has been creating “disturbances” and carrying out its own patrols with other countries.
China, which claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, has been involved an increasingly tense stand-off with the Philippines in the waters there, as both seek to assert their sovereignty claims.
More than 14,000 Filipino and U.S. soldiers are participating in joint exercises which run from April 21 through May 9 for a “full battle test” in the face of shared regional security concerns. China has said the drills are provocative.
In a statement late on Tuesday, the Southern Theatre Command of China’s People’s Liberation Army said its forces had that same day carried out “routine” patrols in the South China Sea, without giving an exact location.
“Recently, the Philippines has been frequently carrying out maritime infringement provocations, creating disturbances and pulling in countries from outside the region to organise so-called ‘joint patrols’,” it said in a statement.
The command’s naval and air forces have monitored the situation and maintained vigilance, it added.
“Troops in the theatre of operations are maintaining a high level of alert, resolutely defending the country’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and resolutely safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea region.”
The Philippine Embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to request for comment.
(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
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