PLA Navy to exercise in South China Sea

The People's Liberation Army Navy will carry out combat exercises in the South China Sea in the coming days, the Navy said on Friday.

According to the Navy's staff department, the training is a routine part of the Navy's annual training plan and is intended to boost the troops' training and hone their combat capability. It is not aimed at any specific country or target, the department said in a statement, without elaborating.

The announcement came two days after defense authorities in Taiwan reported that the PLA Navy's CNS Liaoning aircraft carrier and CNS Hulun Lake replenishment ship sailed through the Taiwan Straits earlier this week. The move has yet to be confirmed by the Navy.