US increases military presence in South China Sea

Fishing boats sail across the Qiongzhou Strait as the summer fishing moratorium ended in the South China Sea, Aug 16, 2021. - Xinhua

BEIJING (China Daily/Asia News Network): From massive military drills to record spy plane activities, the United States military drastically intensified its presence in the South China Sea last year, which serves to undermine China's security interests and increase the risk of friction in the region, according to Chinese experts.

A report published on Sunday (March 27) by the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, a Beijing-based think tank tracking US military operations with open source data, said the US carried out at least 95 military exercises in the South China Sea last year, 10 more than in 2019.