BEIJING (Reuters) -China’s military conducted patrols in the South China Sea from August 3 to 4, a spokesperson for the Southern Theatre Command said on Monday.
The Philippines said on Monday that its navy and that of India had sailed together for the first time in the South China Sea, which China claims nearly the whole of, overlapping with maritime zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
The spokesperson described the Chinese patrol as “routine” but said the Philippines “so-called ‘joint patrol’ disrupted regional peace and stability”.
The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Editing by Alison Williams)
