China has responded after the US, Australia and other allies flagged drills in the South China Sea. -AP
China's military says it conducted air and sea patrols and all activities that "disrupt the South China Sea" are under control, an apparent response to naval exercises by the US and allies including Australia.
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Defence chiefs of the US, Japan, Australia and the Philippines announced on Saturday they would hold joint exercises in the sea to safeguard the rule of law and uphold the right to sail through and fly over the waters.
China has long-simmering territorial disputes with a number of Southeast Asian nations in the South China Sea, a major shipping route.
Skirmishes with the Philippines in particular have flared up since last year.
The US has conducted joint patrols with the Philippines in a show of support. China says the US is inflaming tensions by meddling in the disputes.
A brief statement from the Chinese military's Southern Theatre Command on Sunday said it had organised patrols and that "all military activities that disrupt the South China Sea and create hotspots are under control".
The statement did not mention the US or the joint exercises.
Likewise, the US and its allies did not mention China in their statement, but the four countries reaffirmed their stance that a 2016 international arbitration ruling — which invalidated China's expansive claims in the South China Sea — was final and legally binding.
The growing tensions in the disputed waters are expected to be high on the agenda when US President Joe Biden hosts his Japanese and Philippine counterparts in a summit at the White House this week.
