'Seizing, controlling' islands, shoals focus of Russia-China war games in South China Sea

From InterAksyon (Sep 12): 'Seizing, controlling' islands, shoals focus of Russia-China war games in South China Sea

The war games in the South China Sea between China and Russia will include a focus on "seizing and controlling" islands and shoals, Chinese Navy spokesman Liang Yang said in a statement, as the joint exercises were set to begin Monday (Sept. 12).

Beijing's defense ministry announced the preparations on the drills, in an apparent show of force after a UN tribunal invalidated China's extensive claims in the area in a landmark ruling issued July 12 on a case brought by the Philippines.

The eight-day joint exercises will involve surface ships, submarines, fixed-wing aircraft, ship-borne helicopters, marine corps and amphibious armoured equipment from both navies, the Chinese officer said.

"Compared with previous joint drills, these exercises are deeper and more extensive in terms of organisation, tasks and command" Liang Yang said in the statement, released Sunday.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea and has sought to bolster its case by building a series of artificial islands capable of supporting military facilities.

But the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague ruled in July that any extensive claims to the sea had no legal basis and that China's construction of artificial islands in disputed waters was illegal.

Beijing reacted furiously, with foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang threatening a "decisive response" if anyone took "any provocative action against China's security interests based on the award".

Beijing's land reclamations have prompted criticism from other claimant countries and the US, and Washington has regularly sent warships into the strategically vital area to assert the right to freedom of navigation.

This week's drills will be carried out off the coast of Zhanjiang city in the southern province of Guangdong.

Their precise location was not announced, but they do not appear to be taking place in disputed parts of the sea.

They were aimed at "strengthening the capabilities of the Chinese and Russian Navies in jointly handling security threats on the sea", navy spokesman Liang said.

China and Russia have close military and diplomatic ties, often in opposition to the West, particularly the United States, and their leaders Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin enjoy a tight relationship.

Last August, the two powers held military exercises in the waters and airspace of the Peter the Great Gulf, south of the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok, involving 22 vessels, up to 20 aircraft and more than 500 marines.

In May last year, they conducted their first joint naval exercises in European waters in the Black Sea and Mediterranean, China's farthest-ever drills from its home waters.

http://interaksyon.com/article/132346/seizing-controlling-islands-shoals-focus-of-russia-china-war-games-in-south-china-sea