The South China Morning Post reported (August 26) that the PLA fired the 4000-kms range DF-26B, launched from the northwestern province of Qinghai, and a DF-21D, launched from Zhejiang province in the South China Sea in a ‘warning to the United States’ on August 25. The incident reportedly took place on August 25 above the Yellow Sea off China’s north coast. One source narrows it to waters between the cities of Qingdao and Lianyunggang to the south in the PLA Navy's Northern Theater, which has its headquarters in Qingdao. Chinese officials did not mention the test-firing of two missiles on August 25, but a U.S. defense official confirmed it to the CBS News national security correspondent David Martin. Chinese military expert Ni Lexiong, a retired professor at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, said it was very rare and possibly the first time multiple Chinese exercises were taking place at the same time. He added, “Historically, frequent drills are a clear predictor of war.”

(Comment: Experts say the Chinese did it knowing the US would be watching and hoovering up all available data and intel from the tests, as they probably knew that the U-2 spy plane was collecting data.