China launched live-fire naval exercises in the Yellow Sea yesterday after voicing opposition to similar war games to be staged there this month by the US and South Korea.
The Beihai fleet of the navy of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will conduct a “live ammunition drill” through Saturday off the east coast near Qingdao, Xinhua news agency reported.
Many of the planes, vessels and battlefield weaponry to be used in the exercises were unveiled at the National Day military parade on Oct. 1 last year, Xinhua said.
“This is an annual routine training, mainly involving the shooting of shipboard artillery,” Xinhua had said in a previous report, citing China’s defense ministry.
The US and South Korea are set to carry out a new round of joint drills in the Yellow Sea from Sunday in another show of force against North Korea following the sinking of a South Korean warship in March.
Any military drills involving the US in the Yellow Sea are a sensitive issue because of the area’s proximity to China and the disputed maritime boundary between North and South Korea.
China has bristled at the idea of a US aircraft carrier group patrolling waters near its coast, although the Pentagon has said this month’s anti-submarine exercise would not involve a carrier.
As China launched its war games, PLA commander Zhang Youxia (張又俠) met in Pyongyang with North Korea’s No. 2 leader, Kim Yong-nam, and pledged to step up military exchanges, Xinhua said. Zhang is commander of the PLA’s Shenyang military region, which adjoins the North.
“In the future, North Korea will consolidate and develop exchanges and cooperation with China in every sphere, and make increasing efforts to strengthen friendly cooperation between our two militaries,” Kim told Zhang.
The US and South Korea staged massive joint naval and air exercises in July in the Sea of Japan despite criticism from Beijing.
China staged its own naval, air and artillery exercises in late July, though it was not clear if the drills were in response to the US-South Korea maneuvers.
Last month, the South staged its largest-ever anti-submarine exercise, including live-fire training near the disputed Yellow Sea border, prompting a North Korean artillery barrage fired into the sea.
The US and South Korea also held their annual 10-day war games on land last month.
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