China has for the first time landed several bombers on an island in the disputed South China Sea, a move that could provoke renewed tensions between countries bordering the strategically vital maritime region.
Several bombers of various types including the long-range, nuclear strike capable H-6K carried out landing and take off drills at an unidentified island airfield after carrying out simulated strike training on targets at sea, the Chineseairforce said in a statement Friday.
Wang Mingliang, a defense expert cited in the statement, said the takeoff and landing exercises on islands in the South China Sea will help the air force "strengthen its combat capability to deal with martime security threats".
Washington warned that Beijing would face unspecified "consequences" over its militarization of the South China Sea, and said it had raised the issue with China.
In an analysis published on its website, CSIS said the location of the runway was believed to be Woody Island, China's largest base in the Paracel Islands, which is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan.
China has engaged in years of land-reclamation efforts on reefs it controls in the region and built both civilian and military facilities in the contested area.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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