China conducted military drills on November 13 near the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, an area strategically claimed by both China and the Philippines. The exercises, which included naval and air maneuvers, were described by China’s central military command as “patrol operations conducted in accordance with the law.”
Scarborough Shoal, located near the Philippine island of Luzon, has been under Chinese control since 2012, preventing Filipino fishermen from accessing its waters. China’s recent efforts to redefine territorial boundaries and announce new geographic coordinates have further escalated tensions with the Philippines.
The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs summoned the Chinese ambassador in Manila to protest the new territorial delineations, emphasizing that they violate international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 International Court of Arbitration ruling that rejected most of China’s claims over the South China Sea.
Despite the arbitration ruling, China has maintained its stance, asserting control over the entire South China Sea region. Meanwhile, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently signed laws reaffirming the country’s sovereignty and its rights to natural resources in the disputed area, a move that has angered Beijing.
The South China Sea dispute involves overlapping territorial claims not only from China and the Philippines but also from Vietnam, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian nations.
