China has held its largest military drills in the hotly contested South China Sea, according to the country's Defense Ministry, culminating in a naval parade Thursday overseen by Chinese President Xi Jinping. At least 10,000 personnel took part in the drills, which involved 48 naval vessels and 76 fighter jets, the ministry said. Speaking aboard the Chinese destroyer Changsha, Xi called for further modernization of the country's navy into a "world-class force" and emphasized the Chinese Communist Party's leadership over the military.
China's only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, took part in the parade with a display of J-15 fighter jets under Xi's observation.
