The Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force has entered a stage of carrying out systematic, routine and actual combat drills on the high seas, air force spokesperson Shen Jinke said Thursday.
The air force has dealt with various disturbances and tested its blue water war capabilities since it started carrying out routine drills on the high seas three years ago, Shen told a news briefing on "Army Games 2017" in Wuhan, capital city of central China's Hubei Province.
Stating that China's high-sea drills have increased in frequency over the past three years, Shen said the recent flight of various warplanes over the Bashi Channel and Miyako Strait has tested the air force's actual combat capabilities on the high seas.
The spokesperson said such drills accord with international laws and practice. They are legitimate, reasonable and justified, he said.
The drills are not meant to target any countries or regions, but are the requirement of China's military and national defense building, Shen said.
The air force aims to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the interests of the country's air safety through carrying out actual combat drills, he said.
