The Chinese military yesterday carried out its first-ever bomber formation patrol with its fighter jets over the disputed South China Sea as a warning to the Philippines after its navy conducted joint patrols with the US and Japan.
China, which claims the most of the South China Sea, remains in a prolonged maritime dispute with the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, all of whom have counterclaims in the strategic region, that holds major international trade routes.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theatre Command announced that it had conducted a bomber formation patrol amid the Philippines’ so-called “joint patrols” with external forces — the first time it has announced such a move, according to the state-run Global Times.
The two-day maritime exercise by the U.S., Japan and the Philippines ran from Friday to Saturday.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Southern Theatre Command, Senior Colonel Tian Junli, said the Philippines has frequently colluded with external forces to carry out so-called “joint patrols,” undermining regional peace and stability.
“We solemnly warn the Philippine side to immediately stop provoking incidents and escalating tensions,” he said.
The theatre command forces maintain a high level of alert at all times, resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and peace and stability in the South China Sea region, Mr. Tian said.
Any attempt to infringe on the sovereignty and stir up trouble will never succeed, he added. According to military affairs experts, the bomber formation is one of the PLA’s diversified strike methods.
Song Zhongping, a military affairs expert, told the Global Times that the bombers are among the most important air strike forces, and the dispatch of a bomber formation can demonstrate stronger strike capability.
These can also carry out effective saturation attacks even if the opponent has large surface ships, he said.
The Philippines has been courting external forces to conduct so-called “joint patrols” in the South China Sea, posing threats to China’s sovereignty over its islands and reefs, he said.
Against this background, the PLA bomber formation’s patrol could serve as a warning to the provocateurs’ warships, Mr. Song added.
