China sends fighter jets to Thailand for joint exercise

In a statement posted on its website, China’s Defense Ministry said the training will include air support, strikes against ground targets, and small and large troop deployments.

China’s expanding military presence in the Asia-Pacific region has alarmed the United States and its allies and is part of a growing rivalry between the world’s two largest economies.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Thailand in June to strengthen what he called the U.S. “unparalleled network of alliances and partnerships” in the region.

The Falcon Assault exercise will be held at the Royal Thai Air Force Base in Udon Thani in northern Thailand, near the border with Laos.Thai fighter jets and airborne early warning aircraft from both countries will also participate

The training comes as the United States conducts combat exercises in Indonesia with Indonesia, Australia, Japan and Singapore, the largest iteration since Super Eagle Shield, which began in 2009.

It also follows China in dispatching warships, missiles and aircraft to the surrounding waters and air Taiwan It was a threatening response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to self-governing islands claimed by China as its territory.