Ex-minister: Provocations prompted naval drill

Islands disputes 'have existed for more than three decades', will take time to resolve, he says

China's military drill in the South China Sea, which began on Tuesday, is a reaction to the frequent military exercises carried by the US, Japan and some other countries in the region, said a former senior official.

The United States has dispatched 10 aircraft carriers to Asia to carry out military operations in the past years, a source of anxiety for the Chinese people and government, said Zhao Qizheng, former minister of the State Council Information Office, the country's top international publicity agency.