The Chinese military held a new combat readiness exercise around a flashpoint with the Philippines in the South China Sea, its Southern Theater Command said, adding to a number of such exercises that Beijing has been conducting in the region.
The command on Thursday “organized naval and air forces to carry out combat readiness patrols in the territorial waters and airspace of China’s Huangyan Island and surrounding areas,” it said in a statement, referring to the disputed Scarborough Shoal by its Chinese name.
Scarborough Shoal, known in the Philippines as Bajo de Masinloc, has served as a traditional fishing ground for generations of local fishermen. It lies well inside Manila’s exclusive economic zone, just 125 nautical miles (232 kilometers) from the main island of Luzon.
China, however, claims historical rights over the shoal as it is inside the so-called nine-dash line it displays on its maps. Vessels from both countries have been confronting each other here.
Since the beginning of the month, Southern Command’s troops have been holding drills around the shoal in order to “further strengthen the control of relevant sea and air areas, resolutely defend national sovereignty, and security and resolutely maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea,” it added.
The Chinese military also released a video clip depicting Thursday’s combat patrol, in which at least two warships and several aircraft, including fighter jets and bombers, were seen operating in the Scarborough area.
The Philippine military has yet to react to the Chinese patrols.
