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China holds military drills near disputed shoal in the South China Sea
apnews.com • • world
Key Points:
- China conducted joint naval and air military drills near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, aiming to enhance coordination and rapid reinforcement capabilities.
- The drills followed the Philippines' recent submission to the United Nations seeking to extend its seabed rights to include the contested shoal.
- China condemned the Philippines' territorial claims as illegal and invalid, asserting its own sovereignty over the area.
- Beijing also introduced new regulations for a nature reserve around Scarborough Shoal, prohibiting unauthorized fishing, mining, and coral harvesting.
- The Scarborough Shoal dispute is part of broader tensions over the South China Sea, a strategic trade route rich in undersea gas and oil deposits claimed largely by China.
