China Tests Strike Capabilities Amid Tensions in South China Sea

Beijing tests its military strike capabilities in the South China Sea, raising regional tensions. Learn more about these recent drills.

According to reports, the naval and aerial maneuvers were conducted in reaction to a collaborative training event involving military forces from the Philippines, United States, Canada, and Australia.

After military exercises in the South China Sea involving the Philippines, as well as Western allies including the US, China conducted a combat patrol near contested territory.

On Wednesday, reports from the media stated that the Southern Theater Command of China’s military had conducted air and sea combat patrols near Scarborough Shoal to assess their “strike capabilities.”

The contested Scarborough Shoal, also referred to as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines, is claimed by both Beijing and Manila. It sits approximately 220 kilometers (120 nautical miles) west of Luzon island in the Philippines.

According to Beijing, the reconnaissance and early warning capabilities of its troops were put to the test through Chinese maneuvers.

It was emphasized that any military operations causing disturbances in the South China Sea, leading to conflict and destabilizing regional peace are being closely monitored and managed with utmost care.

According to reports, the combat patrol was executed in reaction to military exercises conducted on the same day by the US, Australia, Canada and Philippines.

The military leaders of four nations expressed their commitment to protecting the entitlements granted by international law, such as freedom of navigation and overflight in seas and airspace. They issued a joint statement regarding this matter.

The purpose of the two-day exercises, according to them, was to maintain unimpeded movement in the Asia Pacific area.

Numerous countries in the region make overlapping claims on the South China Sea, with Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei as well as China and Philippines being among them. This waterway is of great significance for many nations’ foreign trade networks due to its extensive commercial traffic volume.

The region’s tensions have been heightened due to the US and its allies’ actions of frequently conducting “freedom of navigation” missions in an area that Beijing considers as its own exclusive economic zone.

The initial collaborative maritime exercise between the Philippines and Japan took place in the South China Sea last week.

The Philippines has been warned by China multiple times that enhancing military collaboration with the United States will only serve Washington’s geopolitical interests at Manila’s expense, ultimately harming its security.

Since the inauguration of Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr in 2022, relations between the two Asian nations have deteriorated due to his decision to grant American military forces and equipment access to four extra Philippine military bases. The proximity of some these bases exacerbates tensions over disputed waters.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila has claimed that Washington’s actions have been causing unrest in the South China Sea, which undermines efforts by China and its neighboring countries to uphold peace and stability amidst disputes over this area.