China shows off its air power amidst territorial disputes

China has conducted one of its biggest air force manoeuvres involving nearly 100 fighter planes, amid a row over oil drilling in the South China sea near the Vietnam cost and tensions with Japan over territorial dispute in the East China Sea.

"The exercises involving about 100 fighters of over 10 different types and support staff were held under information conditions at an airport in southwest China," state-run People's Daily reported.

State-run PetroVietnam last week said two Chinese fishing boats cut across cables being laid by the survey vessel Binh Minh 2 off the coast of central Vietnam.

"PetroVietnam vehemently protests the Chinese fishing boats' action against the Binh Minh 2," Pham Viet Dung, head of exploration at the company, said in a statement on the company's website. "We ask that China educate its citizens to respect Vietnamese waters."

Days after Chinese boats reportedly damaged a seismic ship of PetroVietnam, raising tensions in the region, China yesterday asked Vietnam to back off from "unilateral" oil exploration in the disputed waters in the South China Sea.

"Vietnam should immediately stop unilateral oil exploration in that part of the sea and stop interrupting Chinese fishing boats so as to create conducive atmosphere for relevant negotiations," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a media briefing.