By Focus | 2025-11-26

Beijing is engaging in a pattern of denials and tit-for-tat accusations of wrongdoing in the highly contested waters of the South China Sea, analysts say.

China's recent denial of communication interference during an Armed Forces of the Philippines resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre is part of this pattern.

Chinese government ships jammed communications while Philippine forces brought essential supplies to the grounded World War II-era warship that serves as a territorial outpost on the Second Thomas Shoal -- known as Ayungin Shoal in Tagalog and Renai Jiao in Chinese, two top Philippine officials said November 18.

Philippine forces on November 14 transported food, fuel and a new rotation of navy personnel to the Sierra Madre despite the presence of China Coast Guard (CCG) and other ships maintaining watch, the officials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Since last year, the Philippine military has carried out 12 resupply missions to the Sierra Madre.

But during this latest, the CCG jammed communications in and around the shoal in an apparent attempt to prevent drone surveillance by the United States and other international forces, one official said.

The US Marine Corps earlier this month temporarily deployed a unit of Reaper drones to support Philippine maritime security and to strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.

Beijing quickly denied Manila's claims and traded accusations.

An unnamed source from the Chinese military on November 19 called the Philippines' allegations fabricated and an attempt to escalate the situation, China's Global Times reported.

This Chinese narrative is common.

Clashes near Sierra Madre

The shoal is a historic flashpoint between Manila and Beijing, which asserts highly contested territorial claims over more than 80% of the South China Sea, including the fishing atoll.

An international court in 2016 rejected China's expansive territorial assertions, but Beijing refuses to honor the ruling.

China has repeatedly demanded the removal of the Sierra Madre, which the Philippines intentionally grounded in 1999.

After months of clashes near the feature, the two sides signed a provisional agreement in July 2024, designed to de-escalate tensions during the Philippines' resupply missions to the Sierra Madre.

But in August, China deployed CCG vessels and militia ships, including some with heavy machine guns, as well as a helicopter and an unmanned surveillance drone to the shoal. China's actions included close approaches to Philippine vessels and the use of water cannons.

The same month, the brief presence of a Chinese navy tugboat at the shoal had raised concerns over the possible towing of the Sierra Madre.

Beijing frames its role in "allowing" Philippine civilian vessels to deliver basic supplies to the Sierra Madre as a gesture of humanitarian goodwill.

Another flashpoint

The Scarborough Shoal, a triangular chain of reefs and rocks about 120 nautical miles west of Luzon, is another contested area where Chinese military aggression is paired with official denials.

In May, Chinese naval and coast guard vessels engaged in "reckless" maneuvers that nearly resulted in a collision with a Filipino patrol ship, the Philippine military said, releasing video and still images of the incident.

China denied wrongdoing, accusing the Philippine ship of "illegally intruding" into waters around the Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing calls Huangyan Dao.

In another notable incident, Beijing refused to acknowledge the crash of two Chinese ships during the pursuit of a Philippine vessel near Scarborough Shoal in August.

Dramatic video released by Manila showed a CCG ship firing a water cannon at a Philippine patrol vessel before accelerating in pursuit. During the chase, the CCG vessel swerved to block the Philippine ship but instead slammed into a Chinese naval destroyer, crushing its own bow.

Despite the video evidence, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Jiang Bin five days later accused Manila of provocation and vowed "necessary countermeasures."

Provisional agreement

The Philippines has been unmasking China's coercive and unlawful actions in the South China Sea by promoting its own "transparency initiative."

"Manila's transparency strategy has exposed China's maritime aggression, with Philippine authorities routinely distributing videos and photographs of the incidents and inviting media representatives aboard patrol vessels," the Indo-Pacific Defense Forum reported November 11.

Since 2022, in 245 incidents CCG vessels have rammed, blocked and directed water cannons and lasers at Philippine fishing vessels and supply boats, according to Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro.

The Philippines filed 47 diplomatic protests against China so far this year over its escalating hostilities in the South China Sea, Lazaro said October 14.

"The data underscores that Filipinos recognize the critical role of transparency in defending our national interests and upholding international law," said Jeffrey Ordaniel, president and CEO of We Protect Our Seas, a Manila-based nonprofit focused on resolving disputes in the West Philippine Sea and the broader South China Sea.

"Transparency is not a mere communication strategy -- it is a prerequisite for effectively countering Beijing's unlawful actions in the South China Sea," he told the Indo-Pacific Defense Forum.