Overview
- China said its navy and air force ran combat-readiness patrols around Scarborough Shoal, a reef claimed by China and the Philippines, in response to ongoing Balikatan drills.
- The PLA’s Southern Theater Command called the patrols a counter to “rights-violation and provocative acts,” and spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said outside powers are stirring division.
- Philippine and U.S. officials say the annual Balikatan exercise targets no country and helps forces work together for combat and disaster relief.
- This year’s drills include more than 17,000 American and Filipino troops plus Australian and New Zealand forces training in live-fire coastal defense and mock battle scenarios.
- Manila has protested China’s 2024 baselines around the shoal and says Chinese ships have blocked its fishermen and coast guard from the area.