(Newsworthy.news) – During recent military drills conducted by both the United States and the Philippines in the South China Sea, China fired missiles from fighter jets in the latest act of tension in the contested waters.
Despite international acceptance that the Chinese government’s sovereignty claims that the area is under its control falls short of legal reality, the nation has released patrol boats in the South China Sea and developed a military presence on artificial islands.
Disputed parts of the waters have seen multiple face-offs between the Philippines and China. Last month, footage released by the Philippine Coast Guard showed ships from China firing at its opponent’s boats during missions to resupply fishermen. The Scarborough and Second Thomas Shoals, where the December incident took place, as well as the Spratly and Paracel Islands are included in the disputed territory.
During the first week of the new year, the Philippines and the United States engaged in training drills with an aircraft carrier strike group. The American government stated that the purpose of the drills was to try and “enhance” its military coordination of “maritime domain awareness.”
According to video footage caught and shared by the Chinese Central Television (CCTV) network, Philippine and American jets were shown taking off as well as firing missiles that were intended to hit targets. The media outlet and the military—who also shared certain footage—did not specify when the videos were taken but said only that they were caught recently.
However, the footage was released one day after China deployed to the South China Sea both its navy and air force on January 3 and January 4. China’s government criticized the drills, calling them “provocative military activities.”
Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, also said the drills were “detrimental” to the ongoing tensions in the South China Sea and demanded an end to such actions to “maintain peace and stability” in the territory.
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