Beijing/Manila: Chinese state media on Sunday reported that its military conducted combat readiness patrols near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, even as Philippine authorities dismissed Beijing's claims of active tactical exercises in the region as "completely unfounded".
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theatre Command organised the patrols across the territorial waters, airspace, and surrounding areas of the shoal, which Beijing refers to as Huangyan Dao, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Beijing had previously announced the drills as a "countermeasure" against perceived violations of its maritime claims.
However, Manila pushed back against the narrative, stating that while Chinese vessels are present, no actual military drills are taking place.
The official Philippine News Agency, citing the Armed Forces of the Philippines, confirmed the presence of PLA Navy and China Coast Guard (CCG) ships in the vicinity of the shoal, which Manila calls Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal, but denied that any coordinated manoeuvres were underway.
"The AFP has monitored the reported presence of PLAN and CCG vessels in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc. Our coordinated maritime domain awareness confirms that their claims of coordinated military drills are completely unfounded," Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, was quoted as saying.
The development comes following a joint a five-day joint maritime exercise by Philippine and US forces near the same waters from May 26-30.
The exercises, according to a statement by the Armed Forces of Philippines "reflects the enduring commitment of the Philippines and the United States to deepen defence cooperation, strengthen maritime domain awareness, and uphold a rules-based international order."
The strategically vital Scarborough Shoal, a triangular-shaped chain of reefs and rocks with a central lagoon, has been a volatile flashpoint of tensions and standoffs between the two countries.
The Shoal, traditionally a rich fishing ground and a strategic maritime landmark, is located 200 km from the Philippines coast and within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) under UNCLOS.
It is part of the South China Sea disputes including Spratlys, Paracels, Nine-Dash Line, where China's nine-dash line overlaps with the EEZs of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia.
