BEIJING, Nov 1 - China's military announced on Saturday that it observed a joint patrol conducted by the Philippines in the contested South China Sea on October 30 and 31.

Forces from Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, and the United States participated in the exercise in the South China Sea during those dates.

The U.S. 7th Fleet stated that the aim of the drill was to show "a collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific."

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, which includes areas also claimed by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague determined that China's claims were not backed by international law, a ruling that Beijing disputes.