China carried out joint naval and air military exercises near the disputed Scarborough Shoal on Saturday, signaling an escalation in ongoing territorial tensions with the Philippines. The drills were designed to test the army's coordination capabilities between sea and air operations and to practice rapid reinforcement maneuvers, according to the state broadcaster CCTV.
The military activity follows Beijing's recent criticism of Manila’s diplomatic efforts to expand its seabed rights in the South China Sea. Earlier this week, the Philippines submitted a formal bid to the United Nations to extend its seabed territory to include the shoal, which is known as Panatag Shoal in the Philippines and Huangyan Island in China. The People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command dismissed the move, stating in an official release that the Philippine-designated territorial sea baselines for Huangyan Dao are both illegal and invalid.
In addition to the military exercises, China released a new set of regulations on Saturday governing a nature reserve established last year in the area surrounding the shoal. These rules explicitly prohibit activities such as unauthorized fishing, mining, and the harvesting of corals.
The situation in the disputed waters remains volatile, with frequent face-offs between the Chinese coast guard and Philippine fishermen or sailors. Tensions were further exacerbated last week when at least three separate confrontations occurred. During one of these encounters, the Philippine military reported that a Chinese coast guard member wounded a Filipino sailor by striking him in the head with a baton.
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