Philippine navy holds exercise near disputed shoal amid standoff with China

Philippine navy conducts drills near contested shoal in South China Sea amid ongoing disputes with China.

The Philippine navy said on Friday (January 17, 2025) its ships were holding drills near a contested shoal in the South China Sea, a day after Manila and Beijing agreed to seek common ground and find ways to cooperate despite ongoing disputes.

The exercise around the Scarborough shoal, one of Asia's most hotly contested areas, was aimed at enhancing the navy's capability to secure what it said were Philippine waters and the country's territorial integrity, the navy said in a statement.

It described it as a "routine unilateral exercise" involving its Antonio Luna frigate and two other patrol ships operating in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. The exercises would take place from January 17-19, it said.

The drills coincided with the continued radio challenges by the Philippine coast guard to the presence at the shoal of China's largest coast guard vessel, which it says is illegally patrolling in Manila's EEZ.

"If China is genuinely committed to deescalating tensions and sincerely seeks to foster mutual trust and cooperation between our nations... the Chinese government must respect the Philippines' sovereign rights in our EEZ," the coast guard said in a statement late on Thursday.

China's embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

China's expansive territorial claims in the key maritime trade route overlap with the EEZs of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.