BEIJING: China has warned the Philippines against what it calls “provocations” in the increasingly volatile South China Sea, escalating tensions just days after Manila held joint maritime exercises with the United States and Japan.
In a statement, the spokesperson for the Chinese military’s Southern Theater Command accused the Philippines of deliberately creating incidents and drawing in foreign powers to challenge Beijing’s dominance in the region.
“We sternly warn the Philippine side to immediately stop provoking incidents and escalating tensions in the South China Sea, as well as bringing in external forces for backing such efforts that are destined to be futile,” the spokesperson said. “Any attempt to stir up trouble or disrupt the situation will not succeed.”
The warning comes shortly after the US Indo-Pacific Command confirmed that the US, Japan, and the Philippines carried out joint naval exercises from Thursday to Saturday inside Manila’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Washington said the drills aimed to strengthen regional cooperation and ensure freedom of navigation and overflight in one of the world’s busiest waterways, through which more than $3 trillion worth of trade passes every year.
“The US, along with our allies and partners, upholds the right to freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect to the maritime rights under international law,” the US statement said.
Nature Reserve Sparks Protest
The dispute intensified after Beijing announced plans last week to establish a 3,500-hectare (8,650-acre) marine nature reserve on Scarborough Shoal a reef long claimed by both China and the Philippines. Manila swiftly lodged a diplomatic protest, describing the move as another attempt by China to tighten its grip on disputed territory.
The protest was reinforced by Washington. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned Beijing’s move as “yet another coercive attempt to advance China’s interests at the expense of its neighbours and regional stability,” accusing China of seeking to “push expansive maritime and territorial claims” in defiance of international norms.
Recent Clashes at Sea
Tensions around Scarborough Shoal, located about 200 km off the Philippine coast, have been particularly high. Just days earlier, two Chinese vessels allegedly collided while attempting to block a Philippine supply mission in the area. During that incident, a Philippine coast guard aircraft carrying journalists captured footage of US combat ship USS Cincinnati navigating close to the contested shoal, highlighting the growing international spotlight on the standoff.
Silence from Manila
So far, Philippine maritime and military officials have not issued an immediate response to China’s latest warning. But the repeated confrontations underscore the deepening struggle over the South China Sea, a strategic waterway central not only to global trade but also to regional security.
