The Chinese military announced on Saturday that it is conducting air and sea drills in the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. This move comes shortly after China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss reducing regional tensions.
The drills, carried out by the People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theatre Command, involve early warning, reconnaissance, and patrol activities. While China claims these exercises are routine, they come in response to growing military cooperation between the Philippines, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the U.S., who are set to conduct joint maritime drills in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
Scarborough Shoal, located 200 km off the Philippines’ coast, is a highly contested area in the South China Sea. Despite the 2016 Hague ruling that China’s broad claims over the region lack legal basis, Beijing continues to assert its sovereignty over the area. The Shoal is known for its rich fishing resources and strategic location.
During the recent meeting in New York, Blinken highlighted China’s “dangerous and destabilizing actions” in the region, while Wang urged the U.S. not to interfere, emphasizing China’s preference for resolving disputes through dialogue with neighboring countries.
The South China Sea remains a flashpoint for overlapping territorial claims involving China, the Philippines, and other Southeast Asian nations.