Targeting the US and Taiwan... China Conducts Live-Fire Drills Again in the South China Sea

"Warning to Provokers... 100 Warships to Guard the Namjungchinae"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] There are observations that China will conduct live-fire exercises near Hainan waters again this year, following last year.

According to the People's Daily on the 6th, the China Maritime Safety Administration announced that it will conduct military exercises in the South China Sea until the 10th and has prohibited the passage of vessels from the southeastern sea of Hainan to the Paracel Islands.

Chinese experts have noted that the navigation restriction zones set are similar to those during the exercises in August last year, analyzing that the Chinese military is likely to conduct live-fire drills.

Last year, the Chinese military launched medium-range ballistic missiles toward the South China Sea from this area. Experts believe that live-fire exercises, including ballistic missile launches, are highly likely to take place again this year as they did last year.

Xu Guangyu, senior advisor at the China Arms Control Association, said in an interview with the state-run Global Times, "(Regarding this exercise) China will demonstrate at a strategic level that it fears no one," adding, "Even if warships from 100 countries come to the South China Sea, the will to protect sovereignty and security will not waver."

Chinese military expert Song Zhongping also criticized, "China's military exercises in the South China Sea are a warning to provocateurs," calling them "hungry wolves who challenge China's core interests and cause trouble frequently."

The increasing frequency of China's military exercises is analyzed as targeting Taiwan along with the United States. The United States has recently increased the frequency of military demonstrations by deploying warships and military aircraft to the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command announced on the 2nd that it had commenced large-scale joint land, sea, and air exercises involving all branches of the military, including the army, navy, air force, and marines in the region, and the United Kingdom's 'Queen Elizabeth' aircraft carrier strike group, deployed to the Indo-Pacific region, recently entered the South China Sea.

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