The Chinese military on Sunday conducted “combat readiness patrols” at a disputed South China Sea reef in the maritime zone of the Philippines, an ally of the United States, two days after Beijing’s coast guard carried out “law enforcement patrols” in the same area.
Why It Matters
The Chinese patrols were conducted at Scarborough Shoal, a fishing ground known in the Philippines as Bajo de Masinloc and in China as Huangyan Island. After a 2012 standoff with the Philippines, China seized control of the reef, which is 140 miles west of Luzon Island in the Philippines and 700 miles from China’s nearest province of Hainan.
According to international law, the Philippine economic zone extends 200 nautical miles (230 miles) from baselines where the breadth of the country’s territorial sea is measured. Manila is entitled to claim sovereign rights to exploit resources found in the waters within the zone.
China claims nearly all maritime features in the South China Sea, claims that clash with those of other regional nations. In November, Beijing released a list of base points connected by straight baselines, which delineated the waters it claims jurisdiction over, including Scarborough Shoal.
What To Know
The Chinese military, officially known as the People’s Liberation Army, said the Southern Theater Command, which has an area of responsibility that covers the South China Sea, had deployed its naval and air forces around the reef and in surrounding areas.
A video released by the Chinese military showed that Y-8 special operations aircraft, a Su-30 fighter jet and an H-6K bomber, as well as a warship flotilla led by Type 055 destroyer CNS Xianyang, took part in the patrols, China’s state-run media Global Times reported.
The Southern Theater Command also claimed that it has “continuously” strengthened patrols around the territorial waters and airspace of the reef this month, safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and security, as well as maintaining regional peace and stability.
Chinese coast guard conducted law enforcement patrols at the reef, according to a statement, which claimed that it has intensified patrols since the beginning of December, “driving away” ships to strengthen its control of the reef.
In the latest annual report on Chinese military power, the U.S. Defense Department said China has dispatched its navy, coast guard, maritime militia and civilian ships to advance its illegal claims around South China Sea features, including Scarborough Reef.
