Chinese naval forces and coast guard vessels conducted surveillance operations near a disputed South China Sea location on Sunday, following statements from Philippine officials warning that Manila continues to face threats from Beijing despite recent improvements in U.S.-China relations.
The operations took place around Scarborough Shoal, which ranks among Asia’s most disputed maritime territories and has repeatedly sparked tensions between China and the Philippines regarding territorial claims and fishing access.
The People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theatre Command announced through a WeChat statement that its maritime and aviation forces executed combat readiness surveillance in what it called the “territorial sea and airspace” of the formation and nearby waters.
“Such patrols serve as an effective countermeasure to cope with all sorts of rights violation and provocative acts,” the command said.
Chinese coast guard officials issued a separate announcement describing law enforcement surveillance activities near Scarborough Shoal, noting they had addressed vessels conducting “illegal rights-violation activities in accordance with laws and regulations” during the current month, though they provided no additional details.
The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
The surveillance activities occurred while defense officials, military leaders and policy experts from across the Asia-Pacific region convened in Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s leading defense conference.
During an interview with Reuters at the conference, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro stated that the Philippines continues facing a “severe threat” from China regarding both territorial and political matters, despite recent improvements in U.S.-China relations following a summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping earlier this month.
“We have no choice but really to be resilient and to stand up against Chinese aggression,” he said.
The Philippines and China have experienced numerous maritime confrontations in the South China Sea over recent years, sometimes leading to vessel collisions and crew injuries.
China asserts territorial control over nearly the complete South China Sea through a “nine-dash line” marked on its official maps that extends into the exclusive economic zones of the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Conflicts over numerous islands and formations have persisted for decades. Taiwan maintains territorial claims in the South China Sea that largely mirror China’s positions.
During 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague determined that China’s territorial assertions lacked support under international law, though Beijing dismisses this ruling.
