BEIJING / HANOI — China’s military and coast guard conducted coordinated patrols near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Sunday, following renewed warnings from the Philippines that it continues to face maritime and political pressure from Beijing despite easing tensions between the United States and China.
The Southern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army said naval and air units carried out “combat readiness patrols” in what it described as the territorial sea and airspace of the shoal and surrounding waters. It said the operations were intended as a response to “rights violations and provocative acts,” without naming any specific country.
China’s coast guard separately said it conducted law enforcement patrols near the contested feature and claimed it had recently dealt with vessels engaged in what it called illegal activities, though it did not provide details.
The developments come after Philippine and United States forces completed a five-day maritime exercise in the same area last week, including visit, board, search and seizure drills aimed at improving interoperability and maritime security. The Armed Forces of the Philippines said the exercise reinforced commitment to a rules-based maritime order and stronger defense cooperation with Washington.
Scarborough Shoal, known in Manila as Bajo de Masinloc and located within the West Philippine Sea, remains one of the most sensitive flashpoints in the South China Sea, where competing sovereignty and fishing claims have driven repeated confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels.
China claims nearly the entire South China Sea through its so-called nine-dash line, a position rejected by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. In 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague ruled that China’s sweeping claims had no legal basis under international law, a decision Beijing does not recognize.
Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said Manila continues to face what he described as severe territorial and political pressure from China, even as broader US-China tensions show signs of easing following recent diplomatic engagements between Washington and Beijing.
“We have no choice but to be resilient and to stand up against Chinese aggression,” Teodoro said on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, where defense officials from across the Asia-Pacific region gathered for annual security discussions.
The Philippines has reported repeated maritime incidents in recent years involving Chinese vessels in contested waters, including collisions, water cannon incidents and injuries to personnel, as both sides assert competing claims over strategic features in the South China Sea.
China’s latest patrols underscore the continued military and coast guard presence it maintains across disputed areas, even as regional states deepen security cooperation with the United States and each other in response to rising maritime tensions.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
