PLA stages South China Sea drills days after ‘illegal’ Philippine territorial bid

The Chinese military held joint naval and air drills near Scarborough Shoal, a disputed reef in the South China Sea, on Saturday. The training exercise came after Beijing hit out at the Philippines for an “illegal” attempt to extend its seabed rights off the coast of Palawan and map out its claims to the reef. “This is a necessary action taken in light of the current situation in the South China Sea and in response to the acts of certain countries within the region that have undermined…