China running a series of unlawful military exercises in the South China Sea

The U.S. Department of Defense is flagging the Chinese military’s decision to conduct exercises in the South China Sea this week between the first and the fifth of the month.

The exercises are taking place around the Paracel Islands, which is contested territory, surrounded by contested waters. The U.S. Defense Department is concerned that China’s actions will further destabilize the situation in the South China Sea.

China’s military exercises are also a violation of the country’s commitment to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in 2002. The goal of the declaration was to ensure that neighboring countries avoid activities that would complicate or escalate tensions in the region.

China’s actions contradict its pledge not to militarize the South China Sea, and undermine the U.S.’s plan for a “free and open Indo-Pacific region, which all nations, large and small, are secure in their sovereignty, free from coercion, and able to pursue economic growth consistent with accepted international rules and norms,” states a memo from DOD.

The early July drills are the latest unlawful exercises the People’s Republic of China has executed, meant as acts of aggression that reduce the influence of its Southeast Asian neighbors in the South China Sea.

DOD continues to monitor the situation in the South China Sea and anticipates that the Chinese government will reduce its military presence and intimidation tactics toward its neighbor in the region.