Pentagon: China military exercises will 'further destabilize' S. China SeaMap showing disputed claims in the South China Sea. WASHINGTON - The Pentagon said Thursday it was "concerned" about Chinese military exercises around a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea, noting the maneuvers will "further destabilize" the region. "The Department of Defense is concerned about the People's Republic of China (PRC) decision to conduct military exercises around the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on July 1-5," the Pentagon said in a statement. The exercises "are the latest in a long string" of Chinese actions "to assert unlawful maritime claims and disadvantage its Southeast Asian neighbors in the South China Sea." Washington rejects Beijing's territorial claim to much of the South China Sea, including the Paracels.

Source: Bangkok Post July 03, 2020 00:11 UTC