War of the war games: Beijing aims publicity barrage at U.S. as PLA navy flexes its muscles
Beijing has delivered this unambiguous message to the United States by holding a high-profile war game in the East China Sea from June 30 to July 5: "The East and South China Seas are our spheres of influence and don't mess with us."
Late last month, the Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed “serious concern” about an imminent U.S.-South Korea military exercise in the Yellow Sea that is meant to serve as a warning to the Kim Jong-Il regime. In the eyes of hawkish elements in the Chinese leadership, however, the Yellow Sea event is an affront to Beijing’s quasi-proprietary claims over its surrounding waters.