US sends 2 aircraft carriers to South China Sea during PLA drills

Two US aircraft carriers were conducting exercises in the disputed South China Sea on Saturday, the US navy said, as China also carried out military drills that have been criticised by

the Pentagon

and

neighbouring states

.


China and the US have accused each other of stoking tension in the strategic waterway. The USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan were carrying out operations and exercises in the South China Sea “to support a free and open IndoPacific”, the navy said in a statement.

It did not say exactly where the exercises were being conducted in the South China Sea, which extends for some 1,500 km, and 90% of which is claimed by China despite the protests of its neighbours.

“The purpose is to show an unambiguous signal to our partners and allies that we are committed to regional security and stability,” Rear Admiral

George M. Wikoff

was quoted as saying by

the Wall Street Journal

. Wikoff, commander of the strike group led by the Ronald Reagan, said the exercises were not a response to those being conducted by China, which the Pentagon criticised as “counter-productive to efforts at easing tensions”.

China had announced five days of drills starting July 1 near the Paracel Islands, which are claimed by both

Vietnam

and China