OREANDA-NEWS. The US Department of Defense expressed concern about China’s intention to conduct military exercises with the launch of ballistic missiles in the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. The exercises are scheduled for August 23–29. According to the Pentagon, the missile launches will destabilize the situation in the region.

The reason for this statement was the announcement that China on August 26, during the exercise, launched missiles that can hit land and sea targets, such as aircraft carriers.

Earlier the official representative of the Ministry of National Defense of the People’s Republic of China, Senior Colonel Wu Qian stated that before the presidential elections in the United States, some politicians are trying to provoke clashes between the American and Chinese armed forces.