China has conducted naval exercises east of the Philippines, seemingly in response to upcoming annual military drills involving the U.S. and the Philippines. The People’s Liberation Army stated these drills were a necessary action due to the current regional situation.

Beijing has held naval exercises in waters east of a Philippine island near Taiwan in an apparent response to nearby annual military drills hosted by Manila and Washington. The People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command said on Friday that a naval fleet had “recently” held drills in waters east of Luzon, the northernmost major island of the Philippines. The drills were “a necessary action taken in response to the current regional situation”, said the command, which oversees the South...