Chinese military holds live-fire drills in East China Sea amid Taiwan tension
- Week of live ammunition training announced, hot on the heels of training in the South China Sea
- The latest exercises are ‘actually preparing for fighting’, expert says
Experts said that it was designed to counter recent US-Japan joint drills in the disputed South China Sea.
The USS Carl Vinson and its strike group had been in the contested waters for exercises with the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force’s JS Kaga, carrying out flight operations, coordinated tactical training between surface and air units, and maritime strike exercises, the US Navy said last week.
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US submarine strikes unknown underwater object in disputed South China Sea
That was the ninth time this year that an American carrier strike group had operated in the disputed waters, according to Beijing-based think tank the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative.
The think tank said that in October, the frequency of reconnaissance operations grew during visits by the Vinson and Britain’s Queen Elizabeth strike group, with the US military conducting 52 reconnaissance flights.