JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the South Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), Zhai Shichen, said the Chinese navy had conducted planned patrols in the South China Sea from February 23 to 26.
"Starting from February 23-26, the naval forces of the PLA Southern Theater Command conducted planned patrols in the waters of the South China Sea," Shichen said, as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, February 27.
He said the Philippines' efforts to attract countries outside the region to organize so-called joint patrols and provoke chaos in the South China Sea had undermined regional peace and stability.
"The PLA Southern Theater Command forces will resolutely defend China's national territorial sovereignty, as well as its maritime rights and interests, and ensure peace and stability in the region," he said.
China has been involved in territorial disputes for decades with several Asia-Pacific countries over islands in the South China Sea, which are believed to have significant hydrocarbon reserves.
Some of the disputed areas include the Xisha (Paracel Islands), Nansha (Spratly Islands), and Huangyan (Scarborough Shoal) areas, with Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines involved in disputes at various levels.
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