US Ally Deploys Flagship To Challenge China in Disputed W...

By Ryan Chan

China News Reporter

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The Philippines, a United States ally, has deployed its coast guard flagship to disputed waters in the South China Sea, where China maintains a strong maritime presence.

The Philippine coast guard said the country had an "unwavering commitment" to defending its sovereign rights and jurisdiction within its exclusive economic zone, which extends no more than 230 miles from the coastline under an international treaty.

China, which also conducted law-enforcement and combat-readiness patrols around Huangyan Dao—also known as Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines—said it is firmly safeguarding the nation's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

Why It Matters

Located about 120 miles west of the Philippine island of Luzon, Scarborough Shoal—also referred to as Bajo de Masinloc and Huangyan Dao—is a flash point between the Philippines and China. Beijing, which claims sovereignty over more than 80 percent of the South China Sea, has effectively controlled the disputed atoll since a standoff in 2012.

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Despite The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration's 2016 ruling dismissing China's claims within its "nine-dash line" in the South China Sea as having no legal basis, the Chinese military and coast guard continue to maintain a presence around Scarborough Shoal, often leading to standoffs and clashes with Philippine forces.

The Philippines, which signed a mutual defense treaty with the U.S. in 1951, is part of a north-south line known as the first island chain, along with Japan and Taiwan, under a U.S. strategy aimed at deterring and defending against potential Chinese aggression.

What To Know

BRP Teresa Magbanua, a multi-role response vessel and the Philippine coast guard's flagship, monitored a Chinese coast guard ship with hull number 4305 about 49 miles southeast of Scarborough Shoal, Jay Tarriela, the service's spokesperson, said on Friday.

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Tarriela said the Philippine vessel challenged the Chinese ship by radio, adding that its presence in the area was illegal and violated the 2016 arbitral award, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Philippine Maritime Zones Act.

"The visible and resolute presence of BRP Teresa Magbanua also reassures Filipino fishermen of the government's steadfast support, enabling them to fish safely and freely without fear of harassment, intimidation, or interference," Tarriela said on social media.

The following day, both the Chinese military, through the Southern Theater Command, and the Chinese coast guard carried out separate patrols around Scarborough Shoal as part of efforts to strengthen control of the area and safeguard territorial sovereignty.

In footage released by the Global Times, an officer aboard the Chinese coast guard ship 4305 contacted the Teresa Magbanua by radio, asserting China's "indisputable" territorial claims and demanding it "leave the area immediately and stay away from it."

The footage also shows two Chinese coast guard ships practicing with water cannons.

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In response, Tarriela, who called China's patrols "heavily publicized," said Chinese vessels had refused to respond to radio challenges issued by the Philippine coast guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources over the past several days.

"The refusal to answer lawful radio challenges … only underscores that China's actions in Bajo de Masinloc are neither routine nor legitimate," the Philippine official said. "They are deliberate, sustained violations of Philippine sovereignty and international law."

What People Are Saying

Jay Tarriela, a spokesperson for the Philippine coast guard, wrote on X: "Yet another propaganda video has been released by the China Coast Guard, proudly portraying what they describe as 'routine law-enforcement patrols' within the waters of Bajo de Masinloc. As usual, the footage is carefully edited to project an image of complete control and legitimacy."

The Chinese People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command wrote on X: "Since November, the Chinese PLA STC has continuously strengthened combat-readiness patrols in the surrounding waters and airspace of China's Huangyan Dao, further consolidating control over the relevant waters and airspace, resolutely safeguarding China's national sovereignty and security, and firmly maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea region."

What Happens Next

The Philippines and China are expected to maintain their presence around Scarborough Shoal to assert their sovereignty claims. How the U.S. will provide additional support to its ally amid China's growing activities in the South China Sea remains unclear.

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