China‘s military stated that it had conducted a patrol in the South China Sea on Friday, coinciding with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirming Washington’s support for Manila, which challenges some of Beijing’s territorial claims in the region.
A spokesman for the Southern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army said on Saturday that the Philippines frequently enlisted foreign countries to organise “joint patrols” and “disseminated illegal claims” in the region, destabilising the area.
‘Ironclad’ US Support
Hegseth met his counterpart Gilberto Teodoro and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Friday in Manila, the first stop on a tour of Asia that also includes Japan.
Hegseth reaffirmed Washington‘s “ironclad” commitment to its defence treaty with the Philippines, vowing to deploy advanced military capabilities to bolster deterrence against threats, including Chinese “aggression.”
“Deterrence is necessary around the world, but specifically in this region, in your country, considering the threats from the communist Chinese,” Hegseth said.
US-Philippines-Japan Joint Sail
The same day, the United States, Japan, and the Philippines conducted joint naval drills near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea to enhance crisis preparedness when a Chinese military vessel reportedly monitored the exercises from a distance.
At one point, a Chinese frigate attempted to approach the area where warships and aircraft from the three allied nations were carrying out maneuvers.
However, a Philippine frigate issued a radio warning, prompting the Chinese vessel to keep its distance.
For the first time since these joint naval exercises began last year, known as the Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity, a select group of Manila-based media was granted access to observe the drills at sea.
However, the Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on the Chinese military patrol in the South China Sea.
China claims almost all the South China Sea – through which $3 trillion in commerce moves annually – overlapping with sovereignty claims by the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei.
(With inputs from Reuters)
