In a statement, the department emphasised that conducting military exercises in the East Sea is counterproductive to efforts at easing tensions and maintaining stability. China’s actions will further destabilise the situation in the East Sea, it said, adding such exercises also violate China’s commitments under the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea to avoid activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability. The military exercises are the latest in a long string of China’s actions to assert unlawful maritime claims and disadvantage its Southeast Asian neighbours in the East Sea, the statement added.  It also calls on all parties to exercise restraint and not undertake military activities that might aggravate disputes in the East Sea./.