This handout photo taken on March 17, 2015 by satellite imagery provider DigitalGlobe and released to AFP by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSSI) think tank shows a satellite image of vessels purportedly dredging sand at Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea. The series of satellite images posted on the website of the Center for Strategic and International Studies last week show a flotilla of Chinese vessels dredging sand onto Mischief Reef and the resulting land spreading in size. Beijing on April 9 reaffirmed its right to build on the disputed islands after the satellite imagery emerged of construction operations turning tropical reefs into concrete artificial islands. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all have overlapping claims in the area. (Armed Forces of the Philippines photo / CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative / DigitalGlobe)
MANILA – The Chinese naval forces have conducted a “live firing drill” in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) on Tuesday, as reported by Xinhua News Agency.
According to the report, the drill was carried out to strengthen China’s maritime forces and defense and to “improve its ability to react quickly.”
The drill involved missile launch battalions of the Second Artillery Corps, Chinese aircrafts, and over 100 naval vessels.
In the same report citing navy sources, it states that dozens of missiles and “thousands of shells and jamming bombs” were launched during the drill in an effort to test the Chinese Navy’s air defense.
