The Chinese military announced in a statement on Friday that its naval and air forces conducted combat readiness patrols in the waters and airspace around the Scarborough Shoal area, a long-standing point of tension between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.
The Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army of China stated that these patrols are a “necessary countermeasure to respond to rights violations as well as the provocative actions by the Philippines,” noting that they have increased the frequency of these patrols during this month.
The Philippine embassy in Beijing and the Philippine military have not yet responded to requests for comment.
Tensions between China and the Philippines were renewed at the conclusion of a two-day meeting of defense officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that ended on Thursday. Beijing accused an unnamed Filipino politician of obstructing its participation in the event. For its part, Manila affirmed that China had the opportunity during the meeting to present its position.
China claims nearly complete sovereignty over the South China Sea, based on the nine-dash line on its maps, which overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, and Indonesia. An international arbitration tribunal ruled in 2016 that Beijing's expansive claims have no legal basis under international law, a decision China rejects.
The Chinese military stated, “These patrols aim to enhance control and management of the relevant waters and airspace, and are an effective countermeasure to address all forms of rights violations and provocative actions.”
The Chinese military and Chinese Coast Guard did not provide any details regarding the Philippine actions mentioned.
