Hong Kong (CNN) China claims to have deployed missiles "capable of targeting medium and large ships" days after the latest US Navy "freedom of navigation" operation near contested islands in the South China Sea, state media announced. The 1.3 million-square-mile South China Sea has seen increasing tension in recent years, with China aggressively asserting its stake amid conflicting claims from several Southeast Asian nations. Citing an anonymous expert, the Global Times said the DF-26 missile mobilization "is a good reminder that China is capable of safeguarding its territory." The DF-26 missile system originally entered active service in the People's Liberation Army Rocket Forces last April. After the incident, some pro-Beijing commentators called for China's navy to go even further.

Source: CNN January 10, 2019 08:03 UTC