In October, Manila will host a yearly joint military exercise with the US. The exercises are set to take place at the beginning of October at Luzon. Lt. Ielto, the spokesperson for the Philippine military, informed the press. The exercises will encompass the core principles of anti-submarine, anti-surface, anti-air, and electronic warfare. Naval fleets from Japan, Australia, the UK, and Canada might participate in the joint exercise through subject matter expert exchanges and disaster response tabletop events, further enhancing maritime integration and combined interoperability. Indonesia and New Zealand may also join as observers.
While these activities are annual, they come at a pivotal moment as tensions between the Philippines and China escalate.
Damaging the Marine Ecosystem
In mid-September, the Philippines reported significant damage to the marine ecosystem in the Sabina Shoal due to the presence of Chinese vessels. The Philippine Coast Guard unveiled extensive footage of vast patches of broken and bleached coral, leading officials to accuse China of massive destruction. However, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the allegations as “false and groundless.”
Floating Barrier
Weeks later, the Manila Coast Guard detected a floating barrier erected by the Chinese Coast Guard around Bajo de Masinloc, Panatag Shoal. The Philippine government commissioned its military to covertly remove the barrier.
The Philippine president assured that any floating barrier installed by China’s coast guard in the disputed South China Sea would be dismantled. He declared his nation’s commitment to avoiding confrontation but vowed to staunchly defend its waters. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed his public displeasure over China’s installation of the approximately 980-foot-long barrier at Scarborough Shoal’s entrance, which was dismantled under his directive.
A Fishing Zone
The South China Sea, one of Asia’s most disputed maritime zones, sees barriers at the Scarborough Shoal entrance as a breach of international law and the sovereignty of the Southeast Asian nation. Beijing has occupied the shoal since 2012 in an attempt to assert dominance over almost the entire South China Sea.
For decades, the Scarborough Shoal, about 124 miles off the Philippines and within its exclusive economic zone, has been a contentious site. China refers to the rocky outcrop as Huangyan Island and accuses the Philippines of ‘intruding’ into Chinese waters.
The Chinese barrier had stopped numerous Filipino vessels from accessing the rich fishing area. According to the Philippine Coast Guard, the Chinese Coast Guard vessels installed the rope and net barrier, held up by buoys, while more than 50 Philippine fishing boats waited outside the shoal.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela announced in a news conference that a surveillance aircraft observed two Chinese Coast Guard vessels guarding the shoal’s entrance, continuing to hinder Filipino fishermen.
“We’re not looking for trouble, but we will continue defending the maritime territory of the Philippines and the rights of our fishermen, who have been fishing in those areas for hundreds of years,” the Philippine president commented at a news briefing.
China’s Inherent Territory
Wang Wenbin, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, asserted at a news conference that the shoal “is China’s inherent territory.” He criticized the Philippines’ actions, stating, “What the Philippines has done is nothing but a self-entertaining farce. China will persist in safeguarding the territorial sovereignty and maritime rights of Huangyan Island.” He further addressed the Philippines’ vessel for “intruding” without permission and praised the restraint of the Chinese Coast Guard during their operation.
China Might Reinstall a Barrier
Alberto Carlos, Vice Admiral of the Philippines Navy, voiced concerns to the media. He speculated that the Beijing Coast Guard might place a similar floating barrier at Ayungin Shoal’s entrance, where a small Philippine Navy contingent occupies a long-grounded warship. Chinese Coast Guard ships have patrolled the area for some time. Carlos confirmed the Philippine Navy’s commitment to the Marcos administration’s directive to maintain the Filipino vessel’s presence at this territorial outpost.
Sour Relations
The recent “special operation” is anticipated to strain the Philippines-China relationship further. While they have clashed over the shoal previously, tensions had decreased under the Philippines’ former pro-Beijing administration. Under Marcos, inaugurated the previous year, the Philippines has strived to foster positive ties with neighboring countries, including China. However, unresolved territorial disputes might place these nations on a potential collision course.
An Asian Dispute
Despite not laying any claims, the US Navy has conducted patrols in the waterway for years, challenging China’s extensive territorial claims and promoting freedom of navigation and overflight. The United States has unequivocally affirmed its commitment to safeguard the Philippines in accordance with the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, should any potential conflict materialize, particularly within the contentious South China Sea region. This recent escalation of tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea—an area of paramount global significance due to its pivotal role in international trade—stems from President Marcos’ pivotal decision in 2014, wherein he granted consent for an expanded United States military presence in the Philippines under a comprehensive defense agreement. This move, placing more American forces closer to Taiwan and southern China, angered Beijing. Beijing has criticized these efforts as provocative and tension-inducing.
Control of the Scarborough Shoal
Controlling the shoal, approximately 528 miles from mainland China, is a sensitive issue. For the past decade, China has steadfastly upheld a continuous presence of coast guard ships and fishing vessels within the region. In the year 2016, the Philippines pursued arbitration proceedings at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. In a landmark decision, the court ruled against Beijing’s expansive territorial claims over the majority of the South China Sea. However, Beijing neither participated in the arbitration nor accepted the ruling and continues to defy it. The Philippine Coast Guard’s act of dismantling the barrier signifies the Philippines’ resolve to ensure its sovereignty, despite China’s attempts to block them. “Whatever they install, we will remove,” Alberto Carlos told journalists.
