Naval and air units of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command (STC) conducted combat readiness patrols in the territorial sea and airspace of China's Huangyan Dao and its surrounding areas on Thursday.
Huangyan Dao is an inherent part of China's territory. The STC says it has enhanced readiness patrols in the territorial sea and airspace of Huangyan Dao and its surrounding areas since the beginning of April.
Such patrols serve as an effective countermeasure to prevent all sorts of rights-violation and provocative acts, said the STC, adding that their mission is to resolutely safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea.
A video released Thursday by the STC shows naval and air units coordinate to locate and track a target.
Chinese naval, air forces patrol Huangyan Dao
The U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 2 percent in the first quarter of 2026, missing economists' forecasts of 2.3 percent, according to official data released Thursday by the Commerce Department.
Meanwhile, the core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index - the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge - rose at an annualized rate of 4.3 percent in the first quarter, above the 4.1 percent estimate and accelerating sharply from 2.7 percent in the previous quarter.
On a year-over-year basis, core PCE increased 3.2 percent in March, matching forecasts and up from 3 percent in February. The broader PCE price index rose 3.5 percent year-on-year in March, marking the highest level since June 2023.
Despite the slowing growth, the labor market showed resilience. Initial jobless claims for the week ending April 25 came in at 189,000, well below expectations of 212,000, indicating continued strength in the jobs market.
The PCE price index is closely watched by the Federal Reserve as a key reference for monetary policy decisions and for assessing progress toward its inflation target.
U.S. Q1 GDP growth misses forecasts
