Amid tensions in the South China Sea and over Taiwan, China has issued a warning that the US will be defeated if the two superpowers go to war.
Citing Global Times editorial piece, Express.co.uk reported that the threat is in response to joint military drills carried out by the US. The US joined drills with Japan, Australia and France this week in a show of force against Beijing.
Earlier on Thursday, China had described the military exercises in southern Japan involving troops and hardware from France, Japan, the United States and Australia as a waste of fuel, adding that the drill had "no impact" on the country.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea and has overlapping territorial claims with Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.
Beijing also claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.
"The Global Times put out an editorial saying the US would be defeated if any conflict broke out in the South China Sea. Many see the drills as a show of force aimed at China as Japan works towards consolidating military alliances in an effort to deter its neighbouring superpower," said RT America's Alex Mihailovich.
He further said, "The drills appeared to irritate China rather than contain it."
Former UK MP George Galloway said that this would prompt an increase in military preparedness from China.
"What a spur this must be to China's own warship development. If they are not fools, they will be building so many warships right now that no-one will dare to steam up the East China Sea and threaten them in any way," Galloway said.
Earlier this week, the Chinese People's Liberation Army released videos showing marines training for island landing drills in an apparent threat to Taiwan. Video footage released by the PLA Navy shows marines from the Eastern Theatre Command in a recent landing exercise for a simulated invasion, Express.co.uk reported.
China has been increasing its maritime activities in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea over the past few months, partly in response to Beijing's concerns over the increasing US military presence in the region because of escalating Sino-US tensions. .
( With inputs from ANI )
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