China conducts naval, air patrols around disputed shoal in South China Sea

China's ​military conducted joint air and ​naval combat drills around the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China ‌Sea, the ⁠People's ⁠Liberation Army Southern Theater Command ​said in a statement on Saturday.

Here are ​some key details:

The drills were held in the airspace and ​territorial waters around ⁠the shoal, ‌which China calls ​Huangyan Dao.


​Chinese military described the ⁠exercise as a necessary response ​to actions by "certain countries" it ​said were undermining regional peace and stability. It did not name any countries, but the Scarborough Shoal is also ‌claimed by the Philippines, where it is known as ​Bajo ​de Masinloc.

⁠The exercise was aimed at testing and improving the combat readiness of ​China's forces to defend national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, the Chinese military said.

(Reporting by Che Pan and Ryan Woo; Editing by Tom Hogue)