South China Sea: Chinese coastguard ‘normalises’ safety training at contested Scarborough Shoal
- The coastguard says it ‘regularly conducts life-saving training at sea to ensure the safety of people on board the ships’
- Atin Ito civilian-led mission to assert Philippine rights expected to be met by China’s ‘huge force to blockade Scarborough Shoal’: former US Air Force official
China’s coastguard appears to be conducting regular life-saving training to cement its presence at a contested South China Sea shoal, saying it has “normalised” the exercises to ensure the safety of Chinese fishing boats in the area.
In a statement on Monday, China Coast Guard said it had carried out “successful” life-saving training at sea in the waters off Scarborough Shoal, exercises that it had “normalised”.
“Many Chinese fishing boats are operating in the waters off Huangyan Island, and China Coast Guard regularly conducts life-saving training at sea to ensure the safety of people on board the ships,” the coastguard said, using the Chinese name for Scarborough Shoal, which is controlled by China.
02:33
US and Philippines conduct annual Balikatan drills amid rising tensions with China
