A series of naval exercises involving the United States, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines in the South China Sea have escalated tensions with Beijing, which claims the entire maritime region.
Tian Junli, spokesperson for China’s Southern Theater Command, said the Philippines’ actions were “an attempt to endorse its ‘illegal claims’ in the South China Sea and “undermine China’s maritime rights and interests,” Chinese state media said on Thursday.
Why It Matters
The South China Sea is a hotspot of territorial disputes, with China facing opposition from multiple countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines. A 2016 ruling by a United Nations-backed tribunal rejected most of Beijing’s expansive maritime claims, but China has ignored the decision and continued building artificial islands equipped with military infrastructure.
What To Know
Despite China’s reassurances that it does not seek to obstruct commercial shipping or air traffic, it remains staunchly opposed to foreign military operations in the region. The South China Sea is a crucial maritime route, facilitating approximately $5 trillion in global trade annually, and is believed to hold vast undersea reserves of oil and natural gas.
The U.S. 7th Fleet announced that forces from the four nations conducted a “multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity” within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone on Wednesday.
While the fleet did not disclose the exact location of the exercises, more drills involving U.S., Japanese, and French naval forces are scheduled later this week in the Philippine Sea, to the northeast of the archipelago.
The upcoming drill, starting Saturday, will feature the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, and Japan’s Izumo-class destroyer Kaga, along with their escort ships and air wings.
U.S. 7th Fleet
What People Are Saying
The U.S. 7th fleet stated in a press release that such drills “strengthen the interoperability of our defense/armed forces doctrines, tactics, techniques, and procedures.”
United States Navy Rear Admiral Michael Wosje, speaking about the upcoming drills with Japan and France, said: “Together, we seek to maintain an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, free of all forms of coercion, and we’re excited to work alongside our allies and partners who share that vision.”
Tian reportedly said: “[The Philippines is] colluding with outside countries to organize ‘so-called joint patrols.'”
The senior colonel added that China conducted its own patrols in response to U.S.-Philippines joint patrols earlier this week, signaling Beijing’s continued efforts to assert dominance over the contested waterway.
What’s Next
Beijing continues to warn external nations against interfering in South China Sea affairs, insisting that countries without direct territorial claims should have no role in the dispute.
This article contains reporting by The Associated Press
