US Department of Defense: "China's South China Sea Drills Cause Regional Instability"

Statement Released After Missile Launch by China and Reconnaissance Conflict with US U-2 Aircraft

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The U.S. Department of Defense has expressed strong concerns over China conducting military exercises, including ballistic missile launches, around the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.

In a statement released on the 27th (local time), the Department of Defense mentioned that China's military exercises in the South China Sea will further destabilize the regional situation, and the timing of the drills is questionable amid ongoing negotiations between China and ASEAN countries.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Furthermore, it stated that China's recent military exercises contradict the U.S. strategy for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The Department of Defense also noted that it had communicated in July its intention to monitor whether China would scale back its militarization strategy in the South China Sea and the conflict situation with South China Sea countries.

The Department of Defense emphasized that all parties involved in the South China Sea should refrain from military actions that threaten freedom of navigation and exacerbate disputes in the South China Sea.

The U.S. and China have been in conflict over China's recent military exercises. When the U.S. sent a U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft to monitor the drills, China responded by launching two Dongfeng-26 medium-range missiles, known as "aircraft carrier killers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.