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China and the Philippines engaged in a tit-for-tat early this week after a Philippine warship sailed near Scarborough Shoal, a barren rock about 120 miles west of the island of Luzon that has become one of the region's hottest points of instability.
China claims sovereignty over 80 percent of the South China Sea, pitting it against the territorial claims of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Taiwan, and the Philippines. The sea's Scarborough Shoal, known in the Philippines as Bajo de Masinloc, has effectively been under Chinese control since 2012 and is at the heart of much of the recent escalation between Beijing and Manila.
The Southern Theater Command of China's military issued a statement Monday saying a Philippine ship trespassing near Scarborough Shoal had "seriously violated China's sovereignty and international law and basic norms governing international relations." The statement warned the Philippines that such actions were "highly likely to cause misunderstanding and miscalculation."
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not responded to Newsweek's request for comment by publication time.
The Philippine corvette that had been on patrol near the uninhabited islet had not entered Chinese waters because it is "part of the [Philippine] archipelago and EEZ," Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Año responded in a statement the next day, referencing the country's exclusive economic zone.
An EEZ is an area within which a country claims sole rights to exploit resources found in the waters. It extends 200 miles beyond the country's internationally recognized territorial waters.
China moved in on Scarborough Shoal in 2012 after its maritime forces intervened to prevent Philippine law enforcement from arresting Chinese fishermen who were fishing illegally. After a weeks-long standoff both sides agreed to leave the area. The Philippines' forces honored the agreement, but China's did not, and they have maintained a presence there ever since.
The following year, the Philippines took China to The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration to dispute China's self-imposed "nine-dash line," which is the basis for China's territorial assertions in international waters. The verdict of China v. Philippines dismissed China's claims, but Beijing has continued to ignore the ruling.
A State Department report published early last year said the U.S. takes no position on sovereignty over the roughly 250 islands, reefs, shoals, and other features in the South China Sea. However, the report stressed the right to passage through the sea's trade routes, particularly in areas where China is defying international law.
An estimated $3.37 trillion in trade moves through the South China Sea's oil and gas-rich waters each year.
"Any armed attack on Philippine forces, aircraft, or public vessels in the South China Sea will trigger mutual defense obligations, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's declared in 2019, making the Trump administration the first to state that the two countries' 72-year-old mutual defense treaty covers potential scuffles in Scarborough Shoal as well.
President Joe Biden reaffirmed last week that Washington's defense commitment to the Southeast Asian ally was "ironclad" following a pair of collisions between Philippine and Chinese vessels near another hotly contested feature—Second Thomas Shoal.
Though the U.S. confirmed its defense bubble extended over these features, it does not have a position on who maintains sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal and other features in the South China Sea.
In September, the Philippines dismantled a roughly 1,000-foot floating barrier set up by the crews of Chinese Coast Guard and Maritime Militia boats near Scarborough Shoal. The obstacle had blocked Philippine fishermen from accessing traditional fishing grounds.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said this was a common response from China when his country's fishermen were seen in nearby waters.
Philippine fishing boats had been permitted to again operate in the area during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who had an amicable relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. However, current Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has taken a harder line on China and moved closer to Washington.
Last month, China alleged it had chased away a Philippine naval vessel from Scarborough Shoal after it failed to heed warnings to turn back. Manila denied this "propaganda," claiming its ship had continued on its course unbothered.
About the writer
Micah McCartney is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers U.S.-China relations, East Asian and Southeast Asian ... Read more