Naval drills 'not linked to sea disputes'

BEIJING - Recent Chinese naval exercises were routine and had nothing to do with the situation in the South China Sea, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense said on Wednesday.

"We have noted media reports about the navy's training activities," Yang Yujun said at a news conference. But he asked the media not to read too much into the "normal training activities".

The People's Liberation Army recently conducted a series of exercises, including one off the southern island province of Hainan, raising speculation they were related to tension in the South China Sea.