China plots fresh military exercises in South China Sea

File picture of a carrier-based J-15 fighter jet preparing to land on the Chinese navy's Liaoning aircraft-carrier during open-sea combat training. - Xinhua

BEIJING (AFP): China will hold naval exercises in the South China Sea on Saturday (May 28), its maritime authority said, after a week of recrimination from Western powers over its military ambitions across the Pacific region.

The exercises, set to take place in the sea less than 25km (15.5 miles) off the coast of south China's Hainan province, come as the United States leads warnings over China's growing military and economic presence in an area spanning from the South China Sea to the Pacific Islands.