The Chinese military released a video showing it conducted a “combat-readiness patrol” around a disputed island near the Philippines—a defense treaty ally of the United States.
The South China Sea island, Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Dao in Chinese and Bajo de Masinloc in Filipino, has been under Beijing’s control since a 2012 maritime standoff with Manila.
Newsweek has reached out to the Armed Forces of the Philippines for comment via email.
Why It Matters
China, the Philippines, and other countries have overlapping sovereignty claims in the South China Sea—a region rich in energy resources and serving as a vital global trade route—often resulting in maritime standoffs and clashes, particularly between Beijing and Manila.
The Chinese military has regularly patrolled around Huangyan Dao to assert the East Asian power’s sovereignty. The disputed island lies just 138 miles west of the Philippine island of Luzon, within the Southeast Asian country’s 230-mile-wide exclusive economic zone.
The U.S. signed a mutual defense treaty with the Philippines in 1951, which stated an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft anywhere in the South China Sea would prompt the partnered countries to take action and “meet the common dangers.”
What To Know
Chinese air and naval forces were deployed last Thursday to patrol China’s airspace and territorial waters around Huangyan Dao and its surrounding areas; this is according to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command, which focuses on the South China Sea.
The Chinese military command stressed that it “resolutely” safeguards China’s national sovereignty and security, and “firmly” maintains peace and stability in the South China Sea.
In undated footage released last Thursday, multiple Chinese warships and aircraft were seen conducting patrols, with aircraft flying near the island carrying missiles under their wings. It remains unclear whether the footage was recorded during the recent combat-readiness patrol.
The Chinese patrol coincided with the deployment of the U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington to the South China Sea, within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. The American warship is the only U.S. aircraft carrier currently positioned to help counter China.
Chinese military
The George Washington departed Manila on Monday following a scheduled four-day port visit, accompanied by the cruiser USS Robert Smalls and the destroyer USS Shoup. The visit was part of the George Washington Carrier Strike Group’s patrol in the Indo-Pacific region.
U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Eric J. Anduze, commander of the carrier strike group, said that both Washington and Manila share a strategic vision of a “free, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” adding that their cooperative activities help preserve regional stability.
What People Are Saying
The Chinese PLA Southern Theater Command said in a statement last Thursday: “Since June, the PLA Southern Theater Command has continuously strengthened patrols in the sea and airspace around the territorial waters of China’s Huangyan Dao to further intensify control over the relevant sea and airspace.”
The U.S. Navy said in a press release on Monday: “George Washington is the U.S. Navy’s premier forward-deployed aircraft carrier, a long-standing symbol of the United States’ commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region, while operating alongside allies and partners across the U.S. Navy’s largest numbered fleet.”
What Happens Next
China is expected to continue its military patrols around Huangyan Dao and other disputed islands under its control in the South China Sea. It remains to be seen how the U.S. will support its ally in countering China’s growing military presence in the region.
