China says it patrolled the South China Sea in an apparent response to US naval drills with allies

BEIJING (AP) — China’s military says it has conducted air and sea patrols and that all activities that “disrupt the South China Sea” are under control. The brief announcement on Sunday is an apparent response to joint U.S. naval exercises with its allies. The United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines announced Saturday that they would hold exercises in the sea to safeguard the rule of law and uphold freedom of navigation and overflight. China has long-simmering territorial disputes with the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations in the South China Sea. It says the U.S. is inflaming tensions by meddling in the disputes.