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With tensions in the South China Sea showing no signs of abating, countries with claims in the disputed waterway are seeking whatever means they can to stay ahead of the competition, including conducting joint exercises and forming deeper alliances.
Last month, President Xi Jinping urged the United States to exercise “extreme caution” in handling matters related to Taiwan and avoid fanning “provocative actions” in the South China Sea.
This week, China’s coastguard once again lashed out at its Philippine counterpart, accusing it of approaching and deliberately colliding with its ships over a confrontation in the South China Sea.
China also attempted to block four Philippine vessels that tried to “intrude into the territorial waters” of the disputed Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing refers to as Huangyan Island, making it clear that Beijing had “exercised control over the vessels in accordance with the law”.
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Days earlier, China submitted a copy of the geographic coordinates and nautical charts for the sea territory surrounding the Scarborough Shoal to the United Nations, a move that experts said followed international practice but could be challenged by the incoming Trump administration.
Beijing has also demanded the removal of the US Typhon missile system stationed in the Philippines, which has remained in the city of Laoag in the northern part of the Southeast Asian nation since a joint exercise held from April to May.