PLA patrols South China Sea as US, Philippines, Japan and Australia hold joint military drills

China holds air and sea combat patrol to coincide with full-scale exercise by US and its allies aimed at supporting ‘free and open Indo-Pacific’

In veiled swipe at the joint drills, PLA says military activities ‘intended to sabotage the situation’ and create ‘hotspots’ are ‘under control’

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The BRP Gregorio del Pilar is one of two Philippine warships believed to be taking part in joint drills with the US, Australia and Japan in the South China Sea on Sunday. Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP

Published: 1:43pm, 7 Apr 2024Updated: 9:26pm, 7 Apr 2024

China’s military conducted a naval and air patrol in the disputed South China Sea on Sunday – the same day the Philippines, US, Japan and Australia held joint drills in the area.

“The Southern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army will conduct a joint air and sea combat patrol in the South China Sea on April 7,” the Southern Theatre Command announced on its WeChat account on Sunday morning.

In what appeared to be a reference to the joint drills by the US and the three other countries, the command said that military activities “intended to sabotage the situation” and create “hotspots” in the waters were “well under control”.

The United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines on Saturday announced they would stage a “maritime cooperative activity” on Sunday within what they called the “Philippine exclusive economic zone”.

It is the first full-scale exercise involving the four countries to demonstrate “collective commitment” to strengthening regional and international cooperation “in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific”, according to the joint statement.

According to the Philippine defence department, five warships will take part in the drills.

Two Philippine warships, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar and BRP Ramon Alcaraz, will join the drills alongside the American USS Mobile, Japan’s JS Akebono, and Australia’s HMAS Warramunga, according to the Japanese embassy in Manila.

The drills will include anti-submarine warfare training, tactical exercises, a link exercise and photo exercises, according to the Japanese embassy.