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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="A grand national flag-raising ceremony is held at the Tian&#x27;anmen Square in Beijing, China, January 1, 2024. Ren Chao, Xinhua via EPA-EFE" src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/171250027340211919443.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"/><figcaption>A grand national flag-raising ceremony is held at the Tian&#x27;anmen Square in Beijing, China, January 1, 2024. <em>Ren Chao, Xinhua via EPA-EFE</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>BEIJING, China -- China conducted &quot;combat patrols&quot; Sunday in the South China Sea, its army said, the same day the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia held their first joint drills in the disputed waters.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/7/ph-conducts-first-maritime-cooperative-activity-in-wps-with-us-australia-japan-2324">WATCH: PH conducts first maritime cooperative activity in WPS with US, Australia, Japan</a></div><p>The maritime activities took place days before US President Joe Biden was due to hold the first trilateral summit with the leaders of the Philippines and Japan, with growing tensions over the hotly contested South China Sea on the agenda.</p><p>Beijing&#x27;s People&#x27;s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command said it was organizing &quot;joint naval and air combat patrols in the South China Sea&quot;.</p><p>&quot;All military activities that mess up the situation in the South China Sea and create hotspots are under control,&quot; it said in a statement, in an apparent swipe at the other drills being held in the waters.</p><p>The Philippine military said its drills with the United States, Australia and Japan &quot;demonstrated the participating countries&#x27; commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific through interoperability exercises in the maritime domain.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/6/ph-australia-japan-us-to-hold-maritime-exercise-in-west-philippine-sea-1143">READ: PH, Australia, Japan, US to hold maritime exercise in West Philippine Sea</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/5/philippines-japan-us-to-agree-on-regular-maritime-drills-diplomat-1016">READ: Philippines, Japan, US to agree on regular maritime drills: diplomat</a></div><p>Dubbed the &quot;Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity&quot;, the drills included naval and air force units from all four countries.</p><p>They performed a communication exercise, division tactics, and a photo exercise, the Philippine statement said Sunday.</p><p>The Japanese embassy in Manila said in a previous statement that &quot;anti-submarine warfare training&quot; would be included in the drills.</p><p>Further details about the Chinese military activities in the waterway were not announced.</p><div><strong>- &#x27;Ironclad&#x27; -</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4GJ_dE5R1mQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div><p>The United States has sought to strengthen defense cooperation with its allies in the region to counter China&#x27;s growing influence.</p><p>Top US officials have repeatedly declared the United States&#x27; &quot;ironclad&quot; commitment to defending the Philippines, a treaty ally, against an armed attack in the South China Sea -- to the consternation of Beijing.</p><p>China claims nearly all of the waterway despite competing claims from other countries, including the Philippines, and an international ruling that its stance has no legal basis.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/19/blinken-us-stands-by-ironclad-commitments-to-defend-philippines-1432">READ: Blinken says US stands by &#x27;ironclad&#x27; commitments to defend Philippines</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/19/china-us-has-no-right-to-interfere-in-south-china-sea-1558">READ: China says US has &#x27;no right&#x27; to interfere in South China Sea</a></div><p>China&#x27;s Coast Guard said Saturday it had &quot;handled&quot; a situation at a disputed reef on Thursday, when it claimed several ships from the Philippines were engaged in &quot;illegal&quot; operations.</p><p>&quot;Under the guise of &#x27;protecting fishing&#x27;, Philippine government ships have illegally violated and provoked, organized media to deliberately incite and mislead, continuing to undermine stability in the South China Sea,&quot; spokesman Gan Yu said.</p><p>&quot;We are telling the Philippines that any infringement tactics are in vain,&quot; Gan said, adding that China would &quot;regularly enforce the law in waters under (its) jurisdiction&quot;.</p><p>Relations between Manila and Beijing have deteriorated under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, who has taken a stronger stance than his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte against Chinese actions in the sea.</p><p>There have been several confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels near contested reefs in recent months, including collisions.</p><p>Marcos issued a statement on March 28 vowing the country would not be &quot;cowed into silence, submission, or subservience&quot; by China.</p><p>He also said the Philippines would respond to recent incidents with countermeasures that would be &quot;proportionate, deliberate, and reasonable&quot;.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" frameBorder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H6MgX-c0cxI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" width="640"></iframe></span></strong></div><div><br/></div>

<p>China conducted "combat patrols" Sunday in the South China Sea, its army said, the same day the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia held their first joint drills in the disputed waters.</p>

China conducted "combat patrols" Sunday in the South China Sea, its army said, the same day the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia held their first joint drills in the disputed waters.

China conducts 'combat patrols' as US holds drills with allies in disputed waters

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China conducts 'combat patrols' as US holds drills with allies in disputed waters

Agence France-Presse

Published Apr 07, 2024 10:42 PM PHT

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Updated Apr 08, 2024 02:14 AM PHT

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China

Beijing

People's Liberation Army

South China Sea

Philippines

Japan

Australia

United States

West Philippine Sea

China Coast Guard

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