China conducted a combat patrol on Wednesday near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, an area within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), to test its “strike capabilities.”
Beijing has persistently asserted its claims over almost the entire South China Sea despite an international tribunal’s ruling invalidating these claims. Scarborough Shoal, known in the Philippines as Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc, is 240 kilometers west of Luzon and nearly 900 kilometers from China’s Hainan Island.
In 2012, China seized control of Scarborough Shoal using coastguard vessels, a prime fishing ground historically used by Filipino fishermen.
On Wednesday, the Chinese military’s Southern Theater Command reported organizing a joint combat patrol in the sea and airspace near the shoal, testing reconnaissance, early warning, rapid mobility, and joint strike capabilities.
‘Meant to Intimidate’
Analysts observed that while Chinese military presence near Scarborough Shoal isn’t new, recent actions appear increasingly aggressive. “It’s meant to intimidate,” said Jay Batongbacal, director of the Manila-based Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea. “It’s definitely meant to send a message, a show of force.”
Colonel Xerxes Trinidad, chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines public affairs office, reported no Chinese military activity detected in Bajo de Masinloc as of August 7, 2024, aside from the usual illegal encroachment by Chinese maritime militia vessels.
However, he confirmed the presence of three PLA Navy vessels shadowing the ongoing Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity among the Philippines, Australia, Canada, and the United States. Despite this, he assured that the safety of personnel and the conduct of the cooperative activity remains a priority.
‘Aggravate Tensions’
Recent months have seen escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, including around the contested Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin Shoal) in the Spratly Islands. Notably, in June, Chinese sailors boarded Philippine naval vessels near a strategic reef, leading to a violent altercation.
Despite these tensions, the Philippines and China recently agreed on a provisional arrangement for resupplying Filipino troops on Second Thomas Shoal and to enhance communication to resolve disputes.
The United States announced $500 million in additional military funding for the Philippines to counter China’s assertiveness, a move China criticized as provoking regional confrontation and instability.
In a joint statement, the Philippines began two days of joint sea and air exercises with the United States, Canada, and Australia. The drills are taking place in the “West Philippine Sea,” according to a Manila military spokesman.