China patrols Scarborough Shoal in South China Sea

China’s People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command and the China Coast Guard carried out patrols around the disputed Scarborough Shoal on June 30, citing the need to safeguard Beijing’s territorial claims. The PLA deployed naval and air forces for combat‑readiness patrols in the shoal’s waters and airspace, while the coast guard said it had increased law‑enforcement patrols this month to regulate ships involved in “illegal rights‑violation activities.”

The patrols followed joint U.S.–Philippine drills near the shoal, which Washington said underscored a shared commitment to a free and open Indo‑Pacific. China accused the Philippines of bringing outside nations into the area and warned that such actions undermine regional peace and stability. Beijing has intensified its claims in recent years, establishing a national nature reserve on the shoal and previously installing then removing a floating platform, which the Philippines described as a pretext for occupation. The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately comment on the Chinese patrols.