China kicked off a series of naval exercises on Tuesday, ahead of a high-profile joint drill between the US and other members of the strategic Quad alliance off the coast of Guam.
Chinese forces are conducting live ammunition training near the southern province of Guangdong in the South China Sea, and off the northeast coast near Liaoning in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Strait, according to Maritime Safety Administration notices warning against entry to the waters.
The drills will run until Thursday but no further details have been announced. It comes as the United States is seeking to reassure allies of its commitment to the region amid fallout from the Afghanistan withdrawal and the chaotic fall of Kabul.
Speaking in Singapore on Tuesday, Vice-President Kamala Harris took aim at China, saying it posed a threat to Asian nations but that the US would not force them to choose between the world’s two largest economies.
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