China And Russia To Hold Joint Drills In South China Sea

China has recently taken part in US -led multinational naval drills in the Pacific and a USA defense official said he did not expect the China-Russia exercises to affect USA military activity or behavior in the South China Sea.

They also said the drills will be held to strengthen their cooperation and not to target any other country.

He added that Beijing respects global law and “sincerely hoped that relations between Indian and China continue to progress and there is everlasting friendship between the two forces”.

Yang Yujun, the Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman, made the announcement on Thursday, saying the exercises will be carried out in the “relevant sea and air of the South China Sea”.

China issued new passports starting 2012 with revised maps to include the “nine-dash line”, demarcating Beijing’s claim to almost the entire South China Sea.

Asked whether China would use three airstrips it build on the disputed islands in the South China Sea would use for military purposes, Yang said priority would be given to the civilian usage. The US announced that its Navy, along with those of Japan and India, would be conducting joint exercises later this year in waters north of the Philippines.

Many Vietnamese citizens have been vocal about their support for the Philippines following the Hague’s ruling on July 12, that rejected exclusive Chinese rights to the South China Sea.

The Philippines “vigorously pushed” for the inclusion of comment on an arbitration ruling in a joint statement from Southeast Asian countries but its failure to secure that was no diplomatic win for China, Manila’s foreign minister said on Wednesday.

The South China Sea issue was fast moving towards a major theatre of possible war because of militarisation by the United States.

At a joint press conference with Philippines’ Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay, Kerry said the US encourages all parties, including the Chinese and the Philippines “to negotiate, to work through this diplomatically, bilaterally, multilaterally, [and] build up confidence building measures”.

Russian Federation has been cautious in expressing any opinions regarding the South China Sea dispute.

Both Catherine West, the shadow secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of the British Labour Party, and Masood Khalid, the ambassador of Pakistan to China, believed the best way to resolve the disputes is negotiations between the parties directly concerned.

Already the two countries are demonstrating their military clout, near, and far away from their coastlines.