The Chinese military recently conducted a drill simulating a wartime scenario in which its ships and bases came under attack, amid tensions in the contested South China Sea.
Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Foreign Ministry for further comment via email.
Why It Matters
China has long claimed sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, based on what it calls “historic rights.” Its sweeping claims overlap those of neighboring countries, often leading to clashes between rival forces, particularly with the Philippines.
The Chinese drill was conducted by the Southern Theater Command, which is tasked with safeguarding the country’s interests in the South China Sea. The command has maintained a strong force presence in the region, alongside the Chinese coast guard.
Facing China’s growing military activities in the South China Sea, the United States has deployed its forces, including the Typhon missile system capable of striking China from the Philippines, and is conducting exercises with allies and partners in the region.
What To Know
The Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army said last week that one of its naval bases—at an undisclosed location—conducted a realistic logistical support exercise to test its “full-process emergency support capabilities,” according to local media.
The exercise simulated a naval fleet and its home port being attacked by the enemy, creating what the command called multiple emergency situations, including damaged ship equipment and dock facilities, low ammunition levels and injured personnel.
While returning, naval ships conducted rapid ammunition replenishment and refueling at the base, while maintenance teams boarded the vessels to repair damaged equipment. Official photos show black smoke rising from the pier, simulating the attack scenario.
Simultaneously, medical personnel set up temporary aid stations to provide emergency treatment to “injured crew members,” with those seriously injured transferred to nearby hospitals, demonstrating the capability of providing “joint military-civilian support.”
“At the dock, repair teams, local militia support forces and heavy machinery arrived simultaneously. Rapid surveying, plan development and coordinated action swiftly launched a race against time to repair the dock,” the Southern Theater Command said.
The Southern Theater Command has built several bases for projecting military power into the South China Sea, including Yulin Naval Base near Sanya in Hainan province, which serves as the home port of two aircraft carriers, CNS Shandong and CNS Fujian.
What People Are Saying
The Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army said in a press release: “This exercise effectively improved the combat readiness of logistical support forces, deepened the military-civilian collaborative support mechanism, and laid a solid foundation for building an efficient, all-domain, and three-dimensional combat support system.”
The Pentagon’s Chinese military power report 2024 noted: “The [Southern Theater Command] responds to U.S. freedom of navigation operations in the [South China Sea] and can assume command as needed over all [China Coast Guard] and [China Maritime Militia] ships conducting operations enforcing the [People’s Republic of China]’s claimed sovereignty and supporting [People’s Liberation Army] operations.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen how China will further strengthen its military posture in the South China Sea after the commissioning of its most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian.
