China Strengthens Maritime Military Drills to Show Off Against the U.S.

Large-Scale Naval Military Exercises Targeting the U.S. During Korea-Japan Tour

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Ahead of the visits of U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to Japan and South Korea, the Chinese People's Liberation Army conducted large-scale maritime military exercises.

On the 16th, according to Chinese state media such as China Central Television (CCTV) and Global Times, the Chinese People's Liberation Army held maritime live-fire exercises timed with the U.S. Secretaries of State and Defense's visits to Japan and South Korea.

Chinese media reported that the maritime live-fire exercises were conducted simultaneously in three sea areas: the Yellow Sea (West Sea), the East China Sea, and the South China Sea. In the Yellow Sea, Type 056 and 056A frigates participated, while in the East China Sea, Type 052C and 052D Aegis missile destroyers took part in the maritime live-fire exercises. Additionally, in the South China Sea, where there are territorial disputes with the U.S., maritime search and rescue drills were conducted, according to Chinese media.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Global Times reported that the People's Liberation Army carried out more than 10 maritime missions across the three sea areas, including naval gunfire, joint exercises with fighter jets and submarines.

Earlier, on the 14th, the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army conducted separate maritime live-fire exercises in Beibu Bay (Tonkin Gulf in Vietnamese) west of the Leizhou Peninsula in the South China Sea, the media added.

Global Times explained that China is currently facing political and military threats from the U.S., and the People's Liberation Army conducted maritime live-fire exercises to protect China's sovereignty, security, and core interests.

Hu Bu, director of the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI), a Beijing-based think tank, said, "Last year, the U.S. conducted unprecedented military activities in the South China Sea," and pointed out that "the U.S. is highly likely to rally regional allies to blockade China's maritime routes." He further expressed concern that the U.S. is likely to increase the intensity of its military activities in the area and intervene in China's regional issues through these actions.

The recent maritime live-fire exercises by the Chinese People's Liberation Army are widely interpreted as being intended with Secretary Blinken's delegation's visits to South Korea and Japan in mind.

Indeed, the nationalist-leaning Chinese media Global Times interpreted the planned '2+2 talks' between the U.S. Secretaries of State and Defense and Japan and South Korea as a deliberate U.S. effort to demonstrate a "credible deterrent" to China. It also analyzed that the visits of Secretary Blinken and his delegation to South Korea and Japan are largely preparatory talks for the upcoming meeting scheduled on the 18th (local time) between Yang Jiechi, Communist Party Politburo member in charge of foreign affairs, and Wang Yi, State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China, representing the U.S. side.

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