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| Chinese Navy Ships on patrol (File Photo) |
After Admiral Scott Swift, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, joined a seven hour surveillance flight over the South China Sea, China's PLA Navy launched a large live-fire exercise in the disputed region with dozens of its most advanced warships, China's nationalist tabloid, the Global Times reports.
The Global Times said that the exercise was done in order for China to demonstrate its determination to defend its maritime territory. In addition to Singapore's Changi Naval Base, the Philippines has become a new staging area for the US to deploy its warships and aircraft to the South China Sea after Benigno S. Aquino III became the president there. At the request of Aquino, the Philippines opened up eight of its military bases to station US troops, aircraft, and warships.
Read the full story at Want China Times