Beijing responds to Manila with military drills near disputed South China Sea shoal

China conducted naval and air military drills near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Saturday. State media reported the exercises were designed to test the coordination of air and sea forces and their capacity for rapid reinforcement deployment.

The drills come days after the Philippines submitted a request to the United Nations to extend its continental shelf, a move that includes the strategically important Scarborough Shoal. Beijing has vehemently rejected the Philippines' claim, labeling Manila's assertion of maritime baselines in the area as "illegal and void."

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The drills included testing the forces' ability to coordinate air and sea operations and deploy reinforcements quickly.

Adding to the tension, China announced new regulations for a marine reserve it established last year around Scarborough Shoal. These regulations prohibit fishing, mining, and coral collection without a permit. The region has been a site of frequent confrontations between Chinese and Philippine coast guards, with the latest incident last week where the Philippine military accused Chinese coast guards of injuring one of its sailors during a maritime encounter.

These military exercises and regulatory actions by China signal a heightened assertiveness in the disputed waters, directly responding to the Philippines' diplomatic efforts to solidify its claims over the resource-rich area.

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Manila's designation of what it described as maritime baselines in the area is 'illegal and void.'