No One Want To Leave! China and the US Military Training in the South China Sea

Citra

Tuesday, Jul 07, 2020 | 07:23 am

Illustration of maps in the South China Sea

News24xx.com - The United States (US) and China are both holding military exercises in the South China Sea. But the two countries did not practice at the same point.

The Chinese military exercise is taking place amid rising tensions between the US and China over the Coronavirus epidemic. The US accuses China of hiding and disparaging the initial outbreak in the city of Wuhan in China.

Regarding military training, China first headed to the South China Sea. As reported by Reuters on Saturday (4 July), China announced a five-day military training schedule starting Wednesday (1 July) local time, near the Paracel Islands, which China claims to be the Xisha Islands. The islands are also claimed by Vietnam.

The United States initially expressed concern about Chinese military exercises around the disputed Paracel Islands. The US Department of Defense or the Pentagon called the maneuvers "increasingly unstable."

The Pentagon added that the exercise was the latest in a series of Chinese actions to affirm maritime claims that violated the law and harmed Southeast Asian neighbors in the South China Sea.

For this, China insisted that military exercises were held in the waters which became its sovereignty. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian stressed that the military exercises were carried out within the scope of China's sovereignty.

"The Xisha Islands are an inseparable part of China. Chinese military exercises in the sea near the Xisha Islands are within our sovereignty and cannot be reprimanded," Zhao said.

Not long after that, the US Navy or US Navy sent two aircraft carriers and several warships to the waters of the South China Sea. The location of US Navy military training is not around the Paracel Islands.