South China Sea Map Shows Beijing's Claims Amid US Navy Drills

Chinese fighter jets fired missiles in the South China Sea during exercises which coincided with joint-U.S.-Philippines military drills as a map shows the contested waters where tensions are growing.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea and has rejected an international tribunal ruling that its assertions have no legal basis, frequently deploying boats to patrol the waterway where it has built artificial islands which it has militarized.

But ties between China and the Philippines have been particularly fraught recently, with their vessels facing off at disputed reefs.

In December, the Philippine Coast Guard released footage of Chinese ships blasting water cannon at Philippine boats during resupply missions to fishermen at Scarborough Shoal and a garrison at Second Thomas Shoal.

The incident sparked diplomatic protests from both sides and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned of "serious difficulties" between the countries. A map by Agence France Presse (AFP) on Thursday shows the shoals among the disputed territories in the region which include the Spratly and Paracel Islands.

Amid that backdrop, Beijing condemned this week's drills between the Philippines and the U.S which are the second in fewer than two months. They involved an aircraft carrier strike group, led by the USS Carl Vinson, with Washington saying the exercises would "enhance our ability to coordinate on maritime domain awareness."

The Philippines deployed four naval vessels, a multi-role helicopter and an anti-submarine helicopter and the U.S. also dispatched a cruiser, two destroyers and multiple combat aircraft.

China in turn deployed a Type 052D guided-missile destroyer and a Type 054A frigate to shadow the Philippine and American navies, triggering warnings from one of the Philippine patrol boats, The South China Morning Post reported.

"I think this is the new normal in the South China Sea. China will respond to every U.S. effort to work with allies and partners to demonstrate the freedom of seas and legitimate self-defense exercises," Mark Montgomery, senior fellow at Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Newsweek. "The surprise would be if China did not respond."

China Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the exercises between the U.S. and the Philippines were "irresponsible" and "detrimental to management and control of the maritime situation and related disputes."

While China often dispatches warships to shadow U.S. aircraft carriers in the waters, "the public announcement of such an exercise is very rare," Duan Dang, a Vietnam-based maritime analyst told AFP

Newsweek has contacted the Philippine Foreign Ministry for comment.

Washington is looking to increase its ties with countries in the region to counter the influence of China. In September, it was reported that the U.S. military is looking to develop a port in the Philippine Batanes group of islands.

This would give access to the territory facing Taiwan in the main waterway which would be key should Beijing invade the self-governing island it claims as its own.

Update 1/4/24, 12:46 p.m. ET: This story was updated with comment from Mark Montgomery.