Beijing [China], February 1 (ANI): China has conducted “combat readiness” patrols in maritime and aerial areas around Huangyan Dao, known internationally as Scarborough Shoal, in the disputed South China Sea, Chinese state media reported on Sunday. The move follows recent joint military drills conducted by the United States and the Philippines in the region.
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theatre Command said in a statement that since the beginning of January it has organized naval and air forces to step up patrols in the waters and airspace surrounding Huangyan Dao. The command said the patrols were aimed at countering what it described as “infringement and provocative actions by individual countries in the region,” according to Xinhua.
“The move is aimed at resolutely safeguarding China’s sovereignty and security, and upholding peace and stability in the South China Sea region,” the PLA command said.
State-run Global Times reported that the patrols involved an H-6K bomber armed with YJ-12 anti-ship missiles and the Type 055 large destroyer Xianyang, along with other PLA warplanes and warships. A day earlier, the Chinese coast guard said it had conducted law enforcement patrols in the territorial waters of Huangyan Dao and surrounding areas, stating the actions were carried out “in accordance with the law” to safeguard China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.
The developments come after the Philippine armed forces and the US Indo-Pacific Command conducted the 11th bilateral maritime cooperative activity in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc, or Scarborough Shoal, in the West Philippine Sea on January 25 and 26, according to the Philippine News Agency.
The Philippines deployed the guided missile frigate BRP Antonio Luna, Air Force FA-50PH fighter jets, an A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, and an AW-109 helicopter. The Philippine Coast Guard also deployed BRP Gabriela Silang. The US Indo-Pacific Command fielded the guided missile destroyer USS John Finn and an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter.
A Chinese defense ministry spokesperson accused Manila of using the joint drills as a pretext to carry out “infringements and provocations.” “The Philippines, under the pretext of conducting military exercises, seeks to encroach upon the shoal and provoke, deliberately stoking maritime tensions,” the spokesperson said.
Manila and Beijing have been embroiled in maritime confrontations in recent years, with the Philippines accusing China of aggressive maneuvers, water cannon incidents, and disruption of supply missions within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. Beijing continues to assert sovereignty over large parts of the South China Sea, including areas within the Philippine EEZ, according to Philippine state media.
The 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was ratified in 1996, and in 2016 the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China’s “nine-dash line” claims had no legal basis.
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