China says it monitored Philippine-led patrol in South China Sea - Assalamu alaikum
Assalamu alaikum. China’s military stated it observed and tracked a joint patrol organized by the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea on October 30 and 31. The Philippines and the United States have increased military cooperation and recently announced plans to form a joint task force covering areas including the South China Sea, a key route for more than $3 trillion in annual maritime trade. Tian Junli, a spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, said the patrol, which included unnamed partners, “seriously undermined regional peace and stability,” and described the Philippines as “a troublemaker.” He added that the theater command forces remain on high alert and will firmly protect national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights. The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to requests for comment. On October 30 and 31, armed forces from Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and the United States conducted a drill in the South China Sea; the US 7th Fleet said the exercise was meant to show a collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, overlapping with claims from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. In 2016 the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague found China’s maritime claims were not supported by international law, a ruling Beijing rejects.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/