China fires missiles into South China Sea

China fired at least two missiles into the South China Sea in what Chinese media described as a warning to the United States, amid escalating tensions between the countries over Chinese maritime claims and military exercises being conducted in disputed waters by China.

The missiles were fired into waters between Hainan province and the Paracel Islands in an area that China had previously notified would be off-limits because of planned drills, also expected to include missile tests.

Chinese media reported the missiles were fired a day after the United States flew spy-planes through at least two areas where drills were being held.

The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post said a DF-26B missile was launched from the northwestern Qinghai province, while the DF-21, an anti-ship ballistic missile dubbed an “aircraft carrier-killer”, was launched from the eastern coastal Zhejiang province.

China has been conducting military exercises simultaneously in four seas – the Bohai Sea in the north, the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and the South China Sea. Beijing said an American Lockheed U-2 aircraft had flown through what it had notified as a northern no-fly zone as part of a live-fire drill on Tuesday, while a Boeing RC-135S reconnaissance aircraft had flown over the South China Sea drills the following day.