Philippines escalates rhetoric, designates exclusion zone in southern waters, stages live drills near Huangyan Island
Recently, China’s Southern Theater Command announced joint maritime and aerial exercises in the sea and airspace surrounding Huangyan Island. This exercise is not a routine annual training but a targeted, operationally realistic maneuver with clear objectives: to safeguard China’s sovereignty over Huangyan Island and test military readiness in responding to sudden maritime incidents.
The trigger for this move was the Philippines’ initiative—supported by multiple countries—to conduct live-field naval drills under the framework of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) near the disputed reef. By positioning multilateral military exercises directly adjacent to contested features, the Philippines has effectively exceeded the bounds of normal defense cooperation.
As the current rotating chair of ASEAN, the Philippines was expected to contribute to regional stability. Instead, it has invited external powers into the South China Sea’s sensitive waters, using the platform of multilateral drills to amplify the South China Sea issue.
The sovereignty of Huangyan Island is unequivocally China’s inherent territory. The Philippines is well aware that its own maritime capabilities are insufficient to sustain pressure on the island. Its strategy lies in internationalizing and multilateralizing a bilateral territorial dispute. Faced with limited prospects in direct confrontation with China, it seeks to invite foreign states to participate, creating a false impression of broad international support for its position, in an attempt to exert pressure on China regarding maritime rights and interests.
However, most participating nations have no intention of becoming deeply involved in the South China Sea sovereignty disputes. Their primary interest lies in enhancing their military presence in Southeast Asia, without seeking direct confrontation with China over Philippine claims. For these countries, participation serves more as a symbolic gesture to assert visibility than a commitment to military alliance. Consequently, the multilateral exercise functions largely as a political performance, with minimal practical deterrence in operational terms.
China’s decision to conduct comparable maritime and aerial drills in the same region is not aimed at escalating conflict but at clearly delineating strategic red lines. South China Sea competition has never been resolved solely through declarations. When another party brings military drills to China’s doorstep, attempting to create de facto situations through coordinated actions, China must respond with equivalent maritime and aerial operations to affirm its jurisdiction over the area.
The core function of this exercise is to constrain the opponent’s operational space and send a clear signal: China retains the capability to manage the situation in the vicinity of Huangyan Island at any time. Any attempt to leverage external forces for political posturing or incremental encroachment on China’s maritime rights will not succeed.
Regional stability in the South China Sea hinges on preventing external actors from exploiting the claims of smaller regional states to steadily embed military presence. If such practices go unchecked, similar multilateral exercises will become increasingly frequent, transforming the South China Sea into an ongoing arena for great-power competition. China’s recent drill sends a precise message: it remains committed to regional peace, but will not tolerate sustained provocations under the guise of multilateral exercises near Huangyan Island. Stability requires mutual respect for China’s territorial sovereignty and an end to activities that provoke tension in sensitive waters.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1877540809336832/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.