The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps are holding drills in the South China Sea at a time of heightened tensions with Beijing over the shooting down of a suspected Chinese spy balloon.
It said exercises involving ships, ground forces and aircraft took place Saturday but gave no details on when the began or whether they had ended.China claims virtually the entire South China Sea and strongly objects to military activity by other nations in the contested waterway through which $5 trillion in goods are shipped every year.
The U.S. military exercises were planned in advance. They come as already tense relations between Washington and Beijing have been exacerbated by a diplomatic row sparked by the balloon, which was shot down last weekend in U.S. airspace off the coast of South Carolina. After first issuing a highly rare expression of regret over the incident, China has toughened its rhetoric, calling the U.S. move an overreaction and a violation of international norms. China's defense minister refused to take a phone call from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to discuss the matter.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
U.S. holds drills in South China Sea amid tensions with ChinaThe U.S. Navy and Marine Corps are holding joint exercises in the South China Sea at a time of heightened tensions with Beijing over the shooting down of a suspected Chinese spy balloon.
Read more »
Evidence that deep-sea black carbon comes from hydrothermal ventsHydrothermal vents have been identified as a previously undiscovered source of dissolved black carbon in the oceans, furthering our understanding of the role of oceans as a carbon sink.
Read more »
Texas is setting the pace in sea turtle protectionThe recent holidays looked a little different for the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi. Several of the aquarium’s Wildlife Rescue Team members spent...
Read more »
Lost world revealed by human, Neanderthal relics washed up on North Sea beachesRelic by relic, beachcombers in the North Sea have helped archaeologists piece together a lost world once inhabited by modern humans, Neanderthals, and even earlier hominins. ScienceMagArchives
Read more »
Sudan military finishes review of Russian Red Sea base dealCAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s ruling military concluded a review of an agreement with Russia to build a navy base on the Red Sea in the African country , two Sudanese officials said Saturday.
Read more »
Josh Gordon makes Seattle Sea Dragons regular season rosterWe are just one week away from the return of the XFL and indeed the Seattle Sea Dragons. All eight teams had until Friday to make the cutdown to a 51-man roster, and the most notable news on the...
Read more »