China Patrols Scarborough Shoal After 5-Day Philippine-US Drill
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 31
China Patrols Scarborough Shoal After 5-Day Philippine-US Drill
2 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 31
Chinese naval, air and coast guard units patrolled waters and airspace around Scarborough Shoal on Sunday, calling the operation a response to unspecified "rights violations and provocative acts."
The move followed a five-day Philippine-US maritime exercise near the shoal that ended Saturday, the third such drill this year and one focused on interoperability, maritime awareness and visit-board-search-and-seizure operations.
At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told Reuters Manila remains under a "severe threat" from China despite a recent easing in US-China tensions after a Trump-Xi summit.
Scarborough Shoal remains a frequent flashpoint in the South China Sea, where repeated China-Philippines confrontations have led to collisions and injuries and where a 2016 arbitration ruling rejected Beijing's sweeping claims.
Can allied drills counter China's advanced 'area denial' strategy in the increasingly militarized South China Sea?
A decade after a landmark ruling, why is China's blockade of Scarborough Shoal now tighter than ever?
Is China's 'lawfare' strategy in the South China Sea effectively rewriting the rules of global maritime law?
Scarborough Shoal Under Siege: China’s Assertiveness, Philippine Resistance, and the Future of the South China Sea Dispute
Overview
After the United States, the Philippines, and allied forces held joint military exercises to strengthen defense ties and promote a rules-based order at sea, China quickly responded by launching naval and air 'combat readiness patrols' around Scarborough Shoal. These patrols were a direct counter to the drills, projecting China's military capability and reinforcing its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea. By confirming and publicizing these actions, Beijing signaled its firm stance on territorial disputes and challenged what it sees as foreign encroachment in its claimed waters, highlighting the ongoing tensions and risk of escalation in the region.