China begins drills near Scarborough Shoal as US-Philippine naval exercises end

Tensions in the South China Sea remained high on Friday as China launched military exercises near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, a move coinciding with the final day of a series of joint naval drills between the United States, the Philippines and other nations.

The exercise – set to run from noon until 7pm – took place in a limited area in the waters southwest of the disputed shoal – known in China as Huangyan Island. The triangle-shaped formation of reefs and rocks controlled by Beijing and located about 120 nautical miles (220km or 136 miles) west of the Philippine island of Luzon has become a flashpoint in tensions between the two sides.

In a notice issued on Thursday, China’s Maritime Safety Administration said the “military training” would be held within an area designated by four coordinates, with all vessels prohibited from entering this zone during the drills.

The drills began on the final day of annual naval joint exercises staged by the US and the Philippines, which began on October 6 in the Sulu Sea and waters off the Philippine island province of Palawan bordering the South China Sea.

The 12-day naval exercise, code-named Sama Sama, was also joined by Japan, Canada and France and involved warships and aircraft conducting live-fire drills, as well as anti-submarine and anti-aircraft exercises, among other war games, according to USNI News, a media outlet under the US Naval Institute.

The official Philippine News Agency said that the training also included replenishment approaches at sea, air defence drills, and a combined anti-submarine exercise, “all aimed at reinforcing coordination and enhancing readiness in joint maritime defence scenarios”.

Tensions have escalated in the South China Sea since last year after a series of confrontations between Beijing and Manila over a number of disputed territories in the resource-rich waters, raising risks of a wider war that could draw in the United States, a treaty ally of the Philippines.

South China Morning Post