China, Philippines continue to clash in South China Sea, with new flashpoint emerging
Frictions in the South China Sea have shown no sign of easing, raising concerns that tensions will continue to bedevil one of the world's busiest maritime waterways.
This week, just as China celebrated its 75th National Day, the People's Liberation Army conducted a naval drill in the South China Sea to demonstrate Beijing's resolve "in safeguarding peace and stability," according to its Southern Theatre Command.
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A week earlier, China carried out joint naval and air exercises around the hotly contested Scarborough Shoal as forces from the United States and the Philippine took part in five-way military manoeuvres within Manila's exclusive economic zone.
On Wednesday, Vietnam's foreign ministry said in a statement that Chinese law enforcers beat fishermen and took away equipment from a boat operating near Hoang Sa, Vietnam's name for the Paracel Islands.
To bolster its diplomatic leverage in addressing maritime tensions in the South China Sea, the Philippines is campaigning for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo stating the rule of law "must prevail amid the current global challenges".
Days earlier, a new flashpoint appeared to be emerging in the disputed waterway as reports surfaced of Chinese missile boats pursuing Philippine vessels and directing lasers at a patrolling aircraft near the contested Half Moon Shoal.
And while China's annual four-month fishing ban in the South China Sea may have ended, fishermen from the Philippines' Zambales province report the persistent presence of Chinese vessels around Scarborough Shoal, just 120 nautical miles (222km) away.
As tensions escalate, Japan held talks with the Philippines to condemn China's actions in the South China Sea, with one senior Japanese politician likening the current threat level to that "during World War II" and urging regional cooperation to deter further provocations.
Manila also made it clear that it plans to take its territorial dispute with China to the United Nations General Assembly, a strategy analysts say could provoke Beijing to respond with economic sanctions.
The Philippines said that between August 27 and September 2, it logged a record 203 Chinese maritime militia vessels and warships operating within waters it claims as its own, said to be an unprecedented surge around the Sabina Shoal.
Earlier on, Manila sent a replacement for the BRP Teresa Magbanua, one of its biggest coastguard cutters, after it headed home upon completing a five-month deployment at the shoal, known in the Philippines as Escoda Shoal and in China as Xianbin Jiao.
China also demanded the Philippines "immediately withdraw" its coastguard ship from the shoal after a helicopter airdropped supplies for the ship's crew in late August.
In August, Chinese and Filipino vessels collided on three occasions, with China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu claiming that the Philippine ship in the second encounter "refused to accept control" by a Chinese coastguard vessel and "deliberately collided" with it.
Lashing out against Chinese activities in the South China Sea, the US said it pledged to "stand with" regional allies, with Rear Admiral Andrew Sugimoto, deputy commander of the US Coast Guard Pacific Area, claiming that a growing number of countries were willing to work with the US Coast Guard.
Unsurprisingly, the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong made its presence felt in the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, just as a US aircraft carrier group sailed in the area en route to the Middle East.
Though few and far between, there have also been moments of restraint and dialogue.
Late last month, China confirmed that it did not block the resupply mission of a Philippine vessel at the controversial Second Thomas Shoal, almost a month after naval ships of the two countries nearly collided in a stand-off in nearby waters.
And in mid-September, the PLA sent its commander responsible for the South China Sea to the United States for the first time since Beijing shut down military ties more than two years ago.
General Wu Yanan, who heads the PLA Southern Theatre Command, held a meeting with US Indo-Pacific commander Admiral Samuel Paparo.
During a visit to China, the first by a Malaysian monarch in a decade, King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar also told President Xi Jinping that Kuala Lumpur would work with Beijing to keep peace in the South China Sea.
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Is China downplaying 'restrained' clash with fishermen near Paracel Islands?
Vietnam says Chinese personnel boarded a local fishing boat on Sunday and beat the crew with iron bars, seriously injuring four of them
Beijing's playing down of a recent confrontation in the South China Sea in which Vietnam claimed its fishermen were violently beaten by personnel from Chinese ships reflects a consistent strategy to convince the Chinese people of the superpower's reasonable behaviour in the disputed waterway.
Observers also say the latest incident could be the "tip of the iceberg", and Hanoi could pivot from its low-key diplomatic approach to its maritime dispute with Beijing if similar incidents were to recur.
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Sitting 100km (62 miles) off the coast of Malaysia's Sarawak state, the Luconia Shoals have become yet another source of tension in the South China Sea between Beijing and its neighbours.
The shoals are off the northwestern coast of Borneo and fall well within Malaysia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), giving Kuala Lumpur exclusive sovereign rights over the natural resources. But China objects to Malaysia's exploration activities based on its "nine-dash line" claim of sovereignty over the Spratly Islands, which include the Luconia Shoals.
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Australia to boost South China Sea presence by joining Philippines' patrols
The move to secure Australia's strategic interests is likely to earn China's ire and increase the potential for sanctions, analysts say
Australia will strengthen its presence in the South China Sea through joint maritime defence activities with the Philippines, a move analysts have said reflects Canberra's strategic interest in securing vital trade routes even at the risk of inviting economic backlash from Beijing.
Australian Ambassador to the Philippines HK Yu recently told reporters that her country would be increasing its maritime cooperative activities (MCA) with Manila.
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China's military in 'competition for partnerships' with US in Southeast Asia
Beijing hopes to compel neighbours to consider its interests in the South China Sea and Taiwan, defence analyst says
Southeast Asia is playing an ever-growing part in China's investment and diplomatic decisions, particularly as Beijing's rivalry with Washington heats up. In the final instalment of a four-part series on China's ties with Asean, Hayley Wong looks at Beijing's efforts to expand defence cooperation in the region.
China is looking to forge closer defence ties with its Southeast Asian neighbours as it engages in a "competition for partnerships" with the United States in the region.
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South China Sea: how should Philippines respond to China's Sabina Shoal moves?
The escalating conflict raises urgent questions about Manila's long-term strategy and approach to safeguarding its territorial rights
A string of recent stand-offs at Sabina Shoal have sparked calls for the Philippines to urgently rethink its South China Sea strategy - though opinions are divided over its best course of action.
Should Manila lean on its long-time ally, the United States, risking further conflict? Or might it find a more effective path by mirroring Vietnam's diplomatic balancing act?
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Escalating hostilities between Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea has brought the region closer to an undesired conflict, putting Southeast Asia's growing China conundrum on the spot.
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Why Philippine warning of South China Sea war may not be cause for serious alarm
Manila's defence chief said towing away a grounded ship would be an act of war, but one analyst said that is 'not a good option' for China
Chinese analysts have said the risk of conflict in the South China Sea is low despite the warning by the Philippine defence minister that it would be an "act of war" if Beijing removed a ship moored at a disputed atoll.
Gilberto Teodoro Jnr told CBS that "if China were to take the Sierra Madre, that is a clear act of war on the Philippine vessel", adding that in such an event, the United States would be expected to step in to help its ally.
Photo: AFP alt=Photo: AFP>
Beijing is at loggerheads with Manila on South China Sea, but not Hanoi. Why?
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China's response to Vietnam's rapid expansion of its land reclamation in the Spratly Islands has been muted so far - a stark contrast to Beijing's increasingly assertive response to the Philippines.
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How is China's 'maritime militia' supporting the PLA in the South China Sea?
Fishing vessels used by PLA as 'floating pieces of sovereignty' help with surveillance, reclamation support and disaster relief
China's fleets of civilian vessels and fishing boats known as the maritime militia have become more visible as confrontations have grown between Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea.
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