China's military conducted a joint naval and air training exercise around the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Sunday, the latest show of force around the reef claimed by both Beijing and Manila.
The People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command announced the operation in a statement on WeChat, describing it as a necessary response to actions by "certain countries" it accused of undermining regional peace and stability.
What the drills involved
According to the Chinese statement, the training was held in the waters and airspace around Scarborough Shoal — known as Huangyan Dao in China and Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines — and aimed to test and enhance combat capabilities in safeguarding what Beijing called its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.
The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the exercise, according to the report.
Why it matters
Scarborough Shoal has been a long-running flashpoint between China and the Philippines, with both sides asserting claims over the fishing-rich reef. Joint patrol-style exercises around disputed features have become a recurring feature of the strategic contest in the South China Sea, where several countries hold overlapping claims.
Sources:
Reuters: China conducts naval, air exercise around disputed shoal in South China Sea — https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-...nd-disputed-shoal-south-china-sea-2026-09-27/
The People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command announced the operation in a statement on WeChat, describing it as a necessary response to actions by "certain countries" it accused of undermining regional peace and stability.
What the drills involved
According to the Chinese statement, the training was held in the waters and airspace around Scarborough Shoal — known as Huangyan Dao in China and Bajo de Masinloc in the Philippines — and aimed to test and enhance combat capabilities in safeguarding what Beijing called its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.
The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the exercise, according to the report.
Why it matters
Scarborough Shoal has been a long-running flashpoint between China and the Philippines, with both sides asserting claims over the fishing-rich reef. Joint patrol-style exercises around disputed features have become a recurring feature of the strategic contest in the South China Sea, where several countries hold overlapping claims.
Sources:
Reuters: China conducts naval, air exercise around disputed shoal in South China Sea — https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-...nd-disputed-shoal-south-china-sea-2026-09-27/
