[🇨🇳] South China Sea

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China says it expelled Philippine aircraft, vessels near disputed atolls

China said on Friday it had driven away a Philippine aircraft and multiple vessels near disputed atolls in South China Sea, in the latest in a series of confrontations in the strategic waterway in recent years. The Chinese military said it issued strong warnings and “expelled” a Philip

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

China says it expelled Philippine aircraft, vessels near disputed atolls

REUTERS
Published :
Dec 12, 2025 18:29
Updated :
Dec 12, 2025 18:29

An aerial view of a China Coast Guard ship navigating near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, as Philippine Coast Guard aircraft carrying journalists patrols the area, days after two Chinese vessels collided in the area while allegedly trying to block a Philippine supply mission, in the South China Sea, August 13, 2025. Photo : REUTERS/Adrian Portugal/Files

China said on Friday it had driven away a Philippine aircraft and multiple vessels near disputed atolls in South China Sea, in the latest in a series of confrontations in the strategic waterway in recent years.

The Chinese military said it issued strong warnings and “expelled” a Philippine aircraft that “invaded” airspace above the Scarborough Shoal, without giving a date for the incident.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Unresolved disputes have festered for years over ownership of various islands and features.

In a separate statement, the Chinese Coast Guard said multiple Philippine vessels entered waters near Sabina Shoal to “cause trouble and provoke incidents”.

The CCG said it took control measures against the vessels, including verbal warnings and forced expulsion.

The Embassy of the Philippines in Beijing, and the country’s foreign ministry and maritime council did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China’s sweeping claims in the region were not supported by international law, a decision that Beijing rejects.

Scarborough Shoal is one of Asia’s most contested maritime features and a flashpoint for diplomatic flare-ups over sovereignty and fishing rights.

China in September approved the creation of a national nature reserve at the disputed atoll, drawing a strong reaction from Manila.

Sabina Shoal, which China refers to as Xianbin Reef and the Philippines as the Escoda Shoal, lies 150 km (93 miles) west of the Philippine province of Palawan, well within the country’s exclusive economic zone.​

 

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https://www.newagebd.net/post/asia/308386/china-conducts-military-drills-near-disputed-shoal

China conducts military drills near disputed shoal
Agence France-Presse . Beijing, China 01 August, 2026, 23:27

China said it conducted military and coast guard drills on Saturday near the Scarborough Shoal, a contested reef in the South China Sea, in a show of force after recent clashes with the Philippines in the disputed waters.

The Philippines and China contest each other’s sovereignty over the coral shoal, which is rich in fishing resources and controlled by Beijing.

China conducted ‘a joint naval-air training exercise’ near the reef on Saturday, a spokesperson from the army’s Southern Theater Command said.

‘This is a necessary action taken in light of the current situation in the South China Sea and in response to the acts of certain countries within the region that have undermined regional peace and stability,’ the spokesperson said.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV aired footage of two warships patrolling the seas and a plane taking off from an airport to the soundtrack of patriotic pop music.

The Chinese coast guard also said on Saturday it had conducted ‘drills’ near the reef during the day, focusing on operations that included ‘search and seizure, interdiction of forced entry, and forced towing’.

It said it would ‘resolutely safeguard China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests’.

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, a vital global trade route, despite an international ruling that found its claims have no legal basis.

Multiple nations in the region, including the Philippines, have territorial claims that overlap with China’s, and altercations occur regularly in the heavily patrolled waterway.

China said it took ‘necessary measures’ last week after it deployed a water cannon at a Philippine vessel, accusing Manila of ‘infringing and provocative actions’ and condemned the presence of a television crew on board the boat.

Manila countered by saying it had been seeking to resupply fishermen and accused a Chinese vessel of a ‘reckless’ manoeuvre.

China also released new rules on Saturday for managing what it branded a nature reserve around the Scarborough Shoal last year, according to state news agency Xinhua.

‘Without authorization, fishing, mining, the collection of corals, coral reefs, giant clams, and other activities that damage rare marine species and the natural ecosystem are prohibited,’ it said.

The rules were published a day after the Philippines said it would submit its official nautical chart of Scarborough Shoal and its surrounding waters to the United Nations this week.​