China’s military will hold live-fire exercises off Korean Peninsula to send ‘message’ to the US and North Korea

Chinese naval forces will conduct more than 10 kinds of drills and launch dozens of types of missiles during four days of live-fire exercises off the Korean peninsula, according to state media.

The details of the drills, which end on Tuesday, were released less than two weeks after North Korea fired off its second long-range missile in a month.

State-run CCTV reported on Monday that the naval forces taking part in the exercises in the Yellow Sea would practice offensive and defensive manoeuvrers with surface ships, submarines, air support, and coastguard forces.

The drills would mirror real combat conditions and test the troops’ tactical, combat and weapons training, the report said.

The exercises included aerial interception and assaults by land and sea, it said.

Top brass overseeing the drills included navy chief Shen Jinlong, Central Military Commission training and management head Li Huohui,commissar of the Northern Theatre Command Fan Xiaojun, and navy commissar Miao Hua.

The drills were taking place in the waters between the coast of Qingdao in Shandong province and Lianyungang in Jiangsu province, according to notices from the PLA Navy’s North Sea Fleet and the Shandong Maritime Safety Administration.

 

Read the whole story from South China Morning Post.

Featured image courtesy of PLA Handout