China’s military has initiated drills near a contested area in the South China Sea, specifically around Huangyan Island, known internationally as Scarborough Shoal, Al Jazeera reported.
China’s Southern Theatre Command announced on Wednesday that the exercises, which included air and sea combat patrols, were carried out to test “strike capabilities.”
“The exercises appear to be a response to same-day military maneuvers by the United States, Australia, Canada and the Philippines,” Al Jazeera reported.
The Chinese drills are intended to assess reconnaissance and early warning capabilities, according to Beijing. The Chinese government added that “all activities disrupting the South China Sea and threatening regional stability are being managed to the best of their ability.”
In response, military leaders from the US, Australia, Canada, and the Philippines issued a joint statement expressing their “commitment to addressing common maritime challenges and upholding international law and a rules-based order,” adding that their two-day exercises had been carried out to “ensure unimpeded passage in the Asia-Pacific region.”
In recent months, tensions between Beijing and Manila have heightened. China continues to assert its claims over nearly the entire South China Sea, despite an international tribunal ruling that China’s claims lack a legal basis.
Scarborough Shoal, located 240 km west of the Philippines’ Luzon island and about 900 km from China’s Hainan island, has been a focal point of this dispute. China took control of the shoal in 2012 using coastguard vessels, disrupting Filipino fishermen’s access to this vital fishing ground.
Confrontations have also involved a warship that Manila has deliberately grounded on the contested Second Thomas Shoal. In June, clashes near the strategic reef led to injuries and damage, with Chinese coastguards boarding Philippine naval vessels and seizing or destroying equipment.
The US has announced $500 million in additional military aid to the Philippines to counter China’s assertiveness. Beijing has criticized this move, asserting that intervention by “external powers” to provoke confrontation will only “destabilize the region further.”
The South China Sea remains a contentious area with ongoing disputes involving China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. The waterway is considered a potential flashpoint and a crucial element in the broader US-China regional rivalry.
The US has long conducted naval patrols in the region to assert freedom of navigation, a practice that China views as a threat to regional stability.