China carried out naval and air “combat readiness” patrols around Scarborough Shoal on Saturday, the latest in a series of stepped-up operations in January in one of the South China Sea’s most sensitive flashpoints.
China’s Southern Theater Command said the patrols took place around Huangyan Dao, the Chinese name for Scarborough Shoal, a reef system that sits inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone but is also claimed by Beijing.
Anadolu, citing Chinese state media, reported that the patrol involved both warships and warplanes, and that video released by the Chinese military showed an H-6K bomber armed with YJ-12 anti-ship missiles and a Type 055 destroyer among the participating assets.
Beijing framed the activity as part of a sustained posture. Reuters quoted the command as saying China has stepped up patrols in January, “resolutely countering the infringement provocations of individual countries within the region.”
The timing is also notable because US and Philippine forces held joint exercises near the shoal earlier this week, the latest in a series of drills that Manila has conducted with Washington since late 2023. Reuters reported it was the 11th such exercise since November 2023, adding to the cycle of action and response that frequently raises the risk of miscalculation in contested waters.
Scarborough Shoal has long been a pressure point because it is close to major shipping routes and has repeatedly drawn coast guard and naval deployments from both sides. Analysts say the persistence of “patrol-and-counter-patrol” patterns makes incidents harder to de-escalate, especially when aircraft and large surface combatants are involved.