UPDATE 1-US sends carriers to S.China Sea during Chinese drills

(Recasts with U.S. navy statement)
By Matthew Tostevin
July 4 (Reuters) - Two U.S. aircraft carriers were
conducting exercises in the disputed South China Sea on
Saturday, the U.S. navy said, as China also carried out military
drills that have been criticised by the Pentagon and
neighbouring states.
China and the United States have accused each other of
stoking tension in the strategic waterway at a time of strained
relations over everything from the new coronavirus to trade to
Hong Kong.
The USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan were carrying out
operations and exercises in the South China Sea "to support a
free and open Indo-Pacific," the navy said in a statement.
It did not say exactly where the exercises were being
conducted in the South China Sea, which extends for some 1,500
km (900 miles) and 90% of which is claimed by China despite the
protests of its neighbours.
"The purpose is to show an unambiguous signal to our
partners and allies that we are committed to regional security
and stability," Rear Admiral George M. Wikoff was quoted as
saying by the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the
exercises.
Wikoff, commander of the strike group led by the Ronald
Reagan, said the exercises were not a response to those being
conducted by China, which the Pentagon criticised this week as
"counter-productive to efforts at easing tensions and
maintaining stability".
China dismissed the U.S. criticism of its drills on Friday
and suggested the United States was to blame for increasing
tensions. U.S. carriers have long carried out exercises in the Western
Pacific, including in the South China Sea, according to the U.S.
navy. At one point recently, the United States had three
carriers in the region.
China announced last week it had scheduled five days of
drills starting July 1 near the Paracel Islands, which are
claimed by both Vietnam and China.
Vietnam and the Philippines have also criticised the planned
Chinese drills, warning they could create tension in the region
and impact Beijing's relationship with its neighbours.
The United States accuses China of trying to intimidate
Asian neighbours who might want to exploit its extensive oil and
gas reserves. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and
Vietnam also lay claim to parts of the South China Sea, through
which about $3 trillion of trade passes each year.
The U.S. statement said the naval exercises gave commanders
the flexibility and capabilities "that only the U.S. Navy can
command".