Chinese naval deployments in line with other large drills, US official says

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – China’s naval deployments in the East China Sea and South China Sea are elevated but consistent with other large exercises in the past, a U.S. military official said on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The assessment contrasted with statements from Taiwan that described the deployments as the largest in nearly three decades.

“The PRC military activity is elevated in the region, consistent with levels we have seen during other large exercises,” the official said, using the country’s official name, the People’s Republic of China.

China’s military has yet to comment and has not confirmed it is carrying out any exercises.

China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory over the island’s rejection, had been expected to launch drills to express its anger at President Lai Ching-te’s tour of the Pacific that ended on Friday, which included stopovers in Hawaii and the U.S. territory of Guam.

But the U.S. official did not link the deployments to Lai’s travels.

“We do not see the activity in the East China Sea and South China Sea as a response to President Lai’s transit,” the official said.

“This activity is part of a broader increase in the PLA’s military posture and military exercises over the last several years. These activities are destabilizing and risk escalation.”

(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Leslie Adler & Shri Navaratnam)