By Focus | 2025-04-04

China on March 28 conducted what it described as a "routine patrol" in the disputed South China Sea amid a trilateral maritime exercise involving the United States, Japan and the Philippines.

The United States, Japan and the Philippines the same day staged joint naval drills to boost crisis readiness near the contested Scarborough Shoal.

The joint exercises, which involved the Philippine Navy's BRP Jose Rizal, the US Navy's guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup and Japan's multi-mission frigate JS Noshiro, saw the three warships conducting coordinated maneuvers.

The exercises included radio communication drills, personnel exchanges, and defensive strategies designed to enhance crisis readiness.

The Associated Press reported that a Chinese frigate attempted to approach the area where the drills were being held but was radioed off by a Philippine naval vessel.

The People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Southern Theatre Command, which carried out the patrol, said it was in response to the Philippines enlisting countries outside the region for "so-called joint patrols" and Manila's continued efforts to "hype and spread its unlawful claims" in the South China Sea, thereby "destabilizing" the region.

A spokesman for the command warned the Philippines against provoking incidents and seeking external support, cautioning that such actions "would prove futile," according to Xinhua News.

The latest tensions follow months of increasing confrontations between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety despite an international ruling that its assertion has no merit.

Chinese ships have repeatedly used aggressive tactics, including ramming and deploying high-pressure water cannons, against Philippine vessels operating in the disputed waters.

'Ironclad' commitment

China's patrol also coincided with a visit by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to the Philippines to reaffirm Washington's commitment under the Mutual Defense Treaty.

During his visit, Hegseth emphasized Washington's steadfast commitment to the Philippines, particularly in light of China's continued assertiveness in the region.

Plans to increase defense capabilities and strengthen deterrence reflect "the strength of our ironclad alliance, particularly in the face of Communist China's aggression in the region," Hegseth said.

He also noted the importance of "freedom of navigation" in the Indo-Pacific, according to the Department of Defense.

Meanwhile, satellite images taken days before Hegseth's visit revealed that China had deployed two H-6 bombers near Scarborough Shoal, according to Reuters.

Maxar Technologies, a US-based satellite company, confirmed the presence of the bombers in the satellite images, underscoring Beijing's growing military footprint in the disputed waters.

China is sending "a signal that it has a sophisticated military," Peter Layton of Australia's Griffith Asia Institute told Reuters.

Balikatan 2025

The tensions come ahead of the annual Balikatan military exercises between the United States and the Philippines, which are scheduled to take place from April 21 to May 9 across Luzon and Palawan.

This year's iteration will see an expansion of joint military operations, including live-fire drills, a ship-sinking rocket attack and simulated beach landings to practice retaking an island near the disputed South China Sea.

For the first time, Japan will participate as a full-fledged partner.

Hegseth during his visit announced that the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS), a mobile ground-based anti-ship missile launcher, will be deployed during Balikatan 2025 alongside advanced unmanned surface vessels.

These systems will enable US and Philippine forces to train together "using advanced capabilities to defend the Philippines' sovereignty," he told reporters.

The upcoming exercises follow last year's deployment of the US Army's Typhon missile system in northern Luzon, which is capable of targeting strategic locations across the South China Sea and parts of mainland China.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said that the deployment of the NMESIS and other equipment would help modernize the country's military and prepare it for "higher technological capabilities that we need for effective deterrence."