China Carries Out Combat Patrols Near Scarborough Shoal Following US-Philippines Maritime Exercises

China’s military and coast guard carried out patrols near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Sunday, a day after the Philippines said it continued to face a threat from Beijing despite recent signs of improved relations between the United States and China.

The patrols followed a five-day maritime exercise by U.S. and Philippine forces near Scarborough Shoal from Tuesday to Saturday.

According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the drills were the third such exercise this year and included visit-board-search-and-seizure operations aimed at improving interoperability, maritime security and maritime domain awareness.

Scarborough Shoal, located in waters that Manila calls the West Philippine Sea, is one of the most disputed maritime features in Asia. It has been the site of repeated tensions between China and the Philippines over sovereignty claims and fishing rights.

China’s People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command said its naval and air forces conducted combat readiness patrols in the “territorial sea and airspace” of the shoal and surrounding areas.

In a statement posted on WeChat, the command said the patrols were intended to counter what it called “rights violations and provocative acts.” The statement did not identify any country.

China’s coast guard said it also carried out law enforcement patrols near Scarborough Shoal. It added that since the beginning of the month it had handled vessels involved in “illegal rights-violation activities” in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations, but provided no further details.

The Philippine military said the exercise showed both countries’ commitment to stronger defence ties, improved maritime awareness and support for a rules-based order at sea.

Defence ministers, military leaders and policymakers gathered in Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue, a major regional security forum.

Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the event, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the Philippines remained under a “severe threat” from China both territorially and politically, despite a recent easing of tensions between Washington and Beijing following a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“We have no choice but really to be resilient and to stand up against Chinese aggression,” Teodoro said.

China and the Philippines have been involved in a series of maritime confrontations in the South China Sea in recent years. Some incidents have resulted in vessel collisions and injuries to personnel.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea through its “nine-dash line” claim, which overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China’s claims were not supported by international law. Beijing rejects the ruling. Taiwan maintains broadly similar claims to those of China in the South China Sea.

The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

References: Reuters, moneycontrol