US slams Beijing”s missile test in South China Sea

TIL Desk/World/Washington/ The Pentagon has called China”s missile launch in the disputed South China Sea as “disturbing” and contrary to Chinese President Xi Jinping”s pledge that he would not militarize the contested waterway.

In a notice to mariners released on Saturday, China said it would be conducting military exercises till Wednesday in a large area of the South China Sea, north of the Spratly Islands. The missile test was part of those exercises, the US media reported.

Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all make claims to parts of the sea. China, however, claims a huge area known as the “nine-dash line” and has been building military installations on artificial islands there.

Ahead of the exercise, Beijing warned other ships not to enter a designated area between the Spratly and Paracel Islands for five days. Washington “was aware of the Chinese missile launch from the man-made structures in the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands,” said Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Dave Eastburn on Tuesday.