China 'disinvited' from major US military exercise over South China Sea

A Pentagon spokesman said in a statement that "China's behavior is inconsistent with the principles and purposes of the RIMPAC exercise," and has "disinvited the PLA Navy from the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) Exercise."

The decision to withdraw China's invitation was made by Defense Secretary James Mattis in coordination with the White House, according to a US official, after Beijing's recent deployment of missile systems and the first landing of a Chinese bomber aircraft in the South China Sea

The same defense official told CNN that the US has its own imagery showing China's deployment of anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles and jammers.

China said last week that it landed long-range bombers for the first time on an island in the South China Sea, the latest in a series of maneuvers putting Beijing at odds with its neighbors and Washington over China's growing military presence around disputed islands.

The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) announced it successfully organized the takeoff and landing of several bombers, including the nuclear-capable H-6K, on an unspecified island. The PLA claimed the mission was a part of China's aim to achieve a broader regional reach, quicker mobilization, and greater strike capabilities.

"The islands in the South China Sea are China's territory," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said in a statement Monday. "The relevant military activities are normal trainings and other parties shouldn't over-interpret them.

RIMPAC is a US Navy exercise held every other year and have previously included a variety of forces from different nations.

Participating in the last RIMPAC in 2016 were 45 ships, 200 aircraft and more than 25,000 people from 26 nations, the defense official told CNN.

Mattis is scheduled to travel to China and Japan at the end of June, defense officials have acknowledged.