China announces South China Sea drills close to Vietnam coast


A photo of Chinese PLA navy fleet taken in April, 2018, - China Daily/ANN

BEIJING/HANOI, March 5 (Reuters): China is carrying out more than a week of military drills in the South China Sea in an area between its southern province of Hainan and Vietnam, the government announced, warning shipping to stay away.

China claims a large part of the disputed waterway, on which major shipping lanes lie, and has built artificial islands and airfields on some of its reefs and islets, to widespread concern in the region and in the United States.

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