A fleet of US warships has been deployed in the South China Sea and they are expected to conduct some of the largest military exercises the area has seen in recent years.
Two aircraft carriers, the USS Ronald Reagan and the USS Nimitz, and four other warships, will begin their exercises on Saturday, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The deployment comes as a direct response to China, which has sparked regional anger at holding its own set of drills near the Paracel Islands, one of several disputed territories in and around the South China Sea. The Philippines and Vietnam claim the land, who also condemned Chinese military activity.
Mourning drills in the United States and China will be held at the same time.
“The purpose is to show an unequivocal signal to our partners and allies that we are committed to regional security and stability,” Rear Admiral George M. Wikoff told the Journal.
China responded by saying that the drills are appropriate and a matter of national sovereignty.
“Some countries outside the region often go on to carry out massive military activities to flex their muscles, and that is the fundamental reason that affects stability in the South China Sea,” Zhao Lijian, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said on Friday. Foreign China.
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