Chinese navy preparing for island dispute: expert

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy is strengthening its combat capability by conducting drills in the South China Sea in an effort to deal with potential disputes and national reunification in the future, a military expert said on Wednesday, adding that other countries should familiarize themselves with the situation.

Website navy.81.cn, affiliated to PLA Daily, reported six landing ships taking part in an exercise in the South China Sea on Monday.

The fleet conducted training, including artillery practice, the navy.81.cn website reported on Monday.

China’s Type 071 amphibious landing ships – Jinggangshan and Kunlunshan – joined the exercises, according to the report.

“The PLA Navy is responding to the Central Military Commission’s call for more training to strengthen combat capabilities,” Li Jie, a Beijing-based naval expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

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