China Closing Part Of South China Sea For Military Exercises: Report
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
July 19 2016 - 6:24AM
China will cut off access to part of the South China Sea for military drills, days after an international tribunal ruled against Beijing's broad claim to the waters.
Starting today China will host military exercises off the east coast of China's Hainan island province, its maritime administration said on its website, AFP reported.
China has also conducted combat air patrols in the region, too, which are slated to become a "regular" practice in the future, according to state newsagency Xinhua.
On Monday, the People's Liberation Army sent H-6K bombers, fighters, scouts and tankers to patrol islands and reefs that include Huangyan Dao, according to a spokesman for the PLA air force.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/china-closing-part-of-south-china-sea-for-military-exercises-report-20160718-gq8irf.htmlS
China Flies Nuclear-Capable Bomber Over Disputed Feature in South China Sea
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has flown a nuclear-capable long-range bomber over a disputed feature in the South China Sea, according to images published by China’s State Council Information Office on July 15.
The pictures of a nuclear-capable H-6K bomber flying over Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in Chinese, first appeared on the PLAAF’s official Weibo microblog account. According to a statement by PLAAF Senior Colonel Shen Jinke on Weibo, quoted in The Wall Street Journal, the overflight was regular “practice” and part of the PLAAF’s more realistic combat training. There are currently around 16 nuclear-capable H-6Ks in service with the PLAAF.
“To effectively fulfill its mission, the air force will continue to conduct combat patrols on a regular basis in the South China Sea,” Shen said.
“The PLA Air Force will firmly defend national sovereignty, security, and maritime interests, safeguard regional peace and stability, and cope with various threats and challenges,” he added.
It remains unclear how many aircraft were involved in the flight over Scarborough Shoal , a feature 120 nautical miles off the coast of the Philippines’ Luzon Island.”The PLA sent H-6K bombers and other aircraft including fighters, scouts, and tankers to patrol islands and reefs including Huangyan Dao,” Xinhua news agency reported on July 18.
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http://thediplomat.com/2016/07/china-flies-nuclear-capable-bomber-over-disputed-feature-in-south-china-sea/
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