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The PLA added that its troops would continue to defend China’s sovereignty in the region and dismissed outside involvement as pointless
South China Sea dispute grows | Image: Representative
China warned the Philippines to halt what it described as provocations in the South China Sea, even as Washington reaffirmed its support for Manila in the face of growing tensions over contested waters.
Senior Colonel Tian Junli, spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command, said on Sunday that Chinese forces had carried out “routine” patrols in the South China Sea.
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He cautioned Manila against escalating disputes, saying: “We sternly warn the Philippines to immediately stop provoking incidents and escalating tensions in the South China Sea.”
The PLA added that its troops would continue to defend China’s sovereignty in the region and dismissed outside involvement as pointless.
“Bringing in external backing is doomed to be futile,” Tian said, in an apparent reference to US support for the Philippines.
China lays claim to nearly the entire South China Sea, a strategic waterway that handles over $3 trillion in annual trade.
Its expansive claim overlaps with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, and has long been a source of regional friction.
The latest warning comes after the United States voiced concern over Beijing’s reported plan to designate Scarborough Shoal—a rich fishing ground—as a nature reserve.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday accused China of using coercive tactics to advance its territorial ambitions.
“Beijing claiming Scarborough Reef as a nature preserve is yet another coercive attempt to advance sweeping territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea at the expense of its neighbours,” Rubio said.
Rubio also criticised Beijing’s actions as destabilising and urged it to respect the 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which found that China had unlawfully blocked Filipino fishermen from accessing Scarborough Shoal.
Despite that decision, Beijing has maintained control of the atoll since 2012 and continues to station vessels there.
Filipino fishermen, meanwhile, fear that the proposed nature reserve designation could further curtail their ability to operate in the area.
Scarborough Shoal lies well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone but remains under constant Chinese surveillance.
China has consistently rejected the 2016 tribunal ruling, while Manila has leaned heavily on its alliance with Washington for support.
The US has repeatedly reiterated that its mutual defence treaty with the Philippines applies to attacks on Philippine vessels in the South China Sea.
With both sides hardening their positions, the long-running maritime dispute remains one of the most volatile flashpoints in the Asia-Pacific region, heightening the risk of confrontation between China and its Southeast Asian neighbours—backed by the US.
About the Author
Ronit Singh, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking News team. He has a keen focus on Indian politics and aims to cover unexplored angles. Ronit is an alumnus of Christ (Deemed to be…Read More
Ronit Singh, Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com, works with the India and Breaking News team. He has a keen focus on Indian politics and aims to cover unexplored angles. Ronit is an alumnus of Christ (Deemed to be… Read More
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September 14, 2025, 09:23 IST
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