China Expands South China Sea Presence

The latest Maritime Security Threat Advisory from Dryad Global states that China’s military activity near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea continues to escalate, with combat readiness patrols becoming more frequent.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has intensified both naval and air operations, and as Scarborough Shoal is situated within the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) it remains a flashpoint for regional tensions.

The deployment of the U.S. Typhon missile system in the northern Philippines in 2024 has further strained relations, prompting China to ramp up its military patrols.

China’s state media has emphasized China’s intent to assert sovereignty over the South China Sea.

China claims almost all the South China Sea through which $3 trillion in commerce moves annually - overlapping sovereignty claims by the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. An international arbitration tribunal ruled in 2016 that China's claims, based on its historic maps, have no basis under international law, a decision China does not recognise.

Friction has been on-going. In January, Reuters reported that the Philippines had suspended a scientific survey in the South China Sea after two of its fisheries vessels faced "harassment" from China's coast guard and navy.