China's air force drills warn U.S., South Korea

China may have recently conducted air force drills to send a message to the United States and South Korea, while flying near the peninsula to collect military intelligence.


Chinese air force spokesman Shen Jinke said Monday the exercises involved aircraft traveling along "routes and areas it has never flown before," the South China Morning Post reported Tuesday.

The Chinese spokesman did not provide details on dates, but the announcement came the same day Washington and Seoul launched their biggest joint air force exercise.

Reconnaissance planes, fighter jets, an early warning and control aircraft, were included in the exercise, according to Beijing.

Li Jie, a Chinese military expert based in Beijing, said the announcement was targeting the United States and South Korea.

"The timing of this high-profile announcement by the PLA is also a warning to Washington and Seoul not to provoke Pyongyang any further," he said.
 [upi.com]
 5/12/17