China’s military announced Sunday that it carried out a standard patrol involving both naval vessels and aircraft in the South China Sea, while at the same time pointing the finger at the Philippines for conducting joint operations with other nations in the contested waters.
The announcement originated from the People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theatre Command, which oversees Chinese military operations in the region.
The command’s spokesperson, senior navy Colonel Zhai Shichen, accused the Philippines of having “rallied foreign countries to organise so-called joint patrols, disrupting the South China Sea and undermining regional peace and stability.”
Zhai further stated that forces under the command’s authority would “resolutely defend national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interest, firmly maintaining regional peace and stability.”
China asserts ownership over nearly all of the South China Sea, a position that conflicts with territorial claims made by several Southeast Asian nations. Beijing also continues to reject a 2016 international arbitration ruling that declared its sweeping claims invalid.
