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Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command a day before said a two-day deployment of its navy and air force, scheduled to end today, was carrying out “routine patrols” in the sea.
It did not mention where exactly the patrols took place or give specific details of the goals of the exercises.
They took place as the United States said an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson was conducting two days of drills with the Philippine Navy.