At about 4 p.m. yesterday, the Southern Theater of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) officially released information that the Southern Theater of the Chinese People's Liberation Army held a routine joint exercise in the waters of the South China Sea. This time, the circular is only 30 words, which is completely different from the content of previous drill and training circulars, but it has a strong warning meaning. The move has raised concerns in the Philippines about whether they will experience the 2016 South China Sea standoff again. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has raised the alert level.
Recently, the situation in the South China Sea suddenly heated up, and the U.S. Navy sent a 100,000-ton aircraft carrier to support the Philippines, causing the Philippines to be more bold. The joint maritime patrols between the US and Philippine militaries have escalated the dispute over islands and reefs in the South China Sea to a confrontation between the Chinese and Philippine militaries. In response to the military provocations of the United States and the Philippines, the PLA has also had to strengthen countermeasures. Not long ago, the PLA Southern Theater conducted a joint patrol of naval and air forces, and the troops closely followed the development of the situation and maintained a high degree of vigilance. Immediately afterwards, the Southern Theater issued a notice on actual combat exercises. This announcement is completely different from the past.
In this circular, the PLA no longer stressed that "the exercise is not aimed at any third party," and it is clear that the purpose of the actual combat exercise in the Southern Theater is to deter the US and Philippine forces. In addition to the escalation of the statement in the announcement, the PLA's military operations are also escalating step by step. From joint naval and air patrols to joint exercises, PLA Navy and Air Force units will participate in the exercises. Although there are no more images of actual combat exercises in the South China Sea, this does not prevent us from speculating about the actual combat subjects of the PLA.
China's South China Sea Theater Navy Responds to the Threat of U.S.-Philippine Joint Military ExercisesRecently, the U.S. Navy and the Philippine Navy conducted a large-scale joint military exercise involving eight surface ships and even a U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. In response to the provocations caused by the joint military exercises between the United States and the Philippines, China's Southern Theater Navy has taken strong measures to send a signal of deterrence to the other side. The navy of the Southern Theater of Operations conducted an actual combat exercise in the naval assault subject, demonstrating its strength in independently carrying out campaign offensives.
In addition, the PLA Navy's first domestically produced aircraft carrier "Shandong" has already been deployed in the Southern Theater Navy, and the third aircraft carrier "Fujian" is also likely to join the combat sequence of the Southern Theater Navy. The destroyer detachment of the Southern Theater Navy has been reequipped with 0.55 million tons of large destroyers and 052D missile destroyers, and the frigate unit has also been upgraded to 054A frigates and 056A frigates. In addition, the PLA Navy has a small number of nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers.
Under the cover of the Air Force's aviation and the Rocket Force's conventional missile forces, the combined firepower assault of the Navy of the Southern Theater is capable of delivering a devastating blow to any enemy convoy that enters the waters of the South China Sea. As a result, the Navy of the Southern Theater of Operations has great strength and a high degree of combat readiness. The Philippines occupies the second largest number of islands and reefs in the South China Sea after Vietnam, and intends to continue to expand its occupation of islands and reefs in the South China Sea. At the instigation of the United States, the Philippines has continued to engage in provocative acts, ignoring China's proposition of "shelving disputes and jointly developing" the South China Sea.
In this case, the squadron has the right to seize the islands and reefs by force as a last resort. The forces in the Southern Theater may also have conducted exercises in which naval and air strike groups covered the capture of islands and reefs by marines. In the face of this series of moves, no smart opponent will ever underestimate the determination and strength of the squadron in the South China Sea region.
The Southern Theater Navy has a large group of amphibious landing ships, including the newly delivered Type 071 amphibious assault ship 31 "Hainan Ship" and the first Type 071 integrated landing ship 998 "Kunlun Mountain Ship" previously listed, demonstrating the strong strength of the fleet. In the future, the Southern Theater Navy may also introduce newer Type 075 amphibious assault ships to further enhance its ability to land and seize islands. With the adjustment of the PLA's establishment structure, the theater troops now have marines and naval garrisons to seize islands, reefs and islands.
With strong fire support and force projection support from the Navy and Air Force, the Marines were able to seize the reef. We do not want the situation to escalate further, nor do we want the islands and reefs in the South China Sea to become an international issue. However, the Philippines' constant provocations have become the main culprit for the aggravation of the dispute between China and the Philippines over islands and reefs. We urge the Philippines to abandon its unrealistic illusions and sit down with China to resolve the issue of islands and reefs in the South China Sea. Now the two sides still have opportunities and leeway, otherwise the 2016 South China Sea confrontation will be staged, and the Philippines' luck may not be good.
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