Exercise described by air force as preparation for ‘the battle’ for the disputed watersChina’s air force has landed bombers on islands and reefs in the South China Sea as part of a training exercise in the disputed region, it said in a statement. The statement said the pilot of the H-6K bomber conducted assault training on a designated sea target and then carried out take-offs and landings at an airport in the area, describing the exercise as preparation for “the west Pacific and the battle for the South China Sea”. China deploys cruise missiles on South China Sea outposts – reports Read moreThe notice, published on the PLAAF’s Weibo microblogging account, did not provide the precise location of the exercise. The US has dispatched warships to disputed areas of the South China Sea in a bid to challenge China’s extensive sovereignty claims in the territory, which is also subject to claims by Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Brunei and Malaysia. Washington warned Beijing would face unspecified “consequences” over its militarisation of the South China Sea, and said it had raised the issue with China.

Source: The Guardian May 19, 2018 04:38 UTC