What happened
China has increased its pressure on the Philippines in the South China Sea, with warships and coast guard vessels hindering a resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal, a reef within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. The Chinese Maritime Safety Administration also announced live-fire drills in the area, barring ships from entering the zone.
The Philippine military reported that three Chinese navy warships and five coast guard vessels closed in on the convoy, violating international regulations and a 2016 arbitral award that voided China's broad territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Experts say China's actions are an escalation of its coercion to isolate Manila within Southeast Asia and assert dominance over the South China Sea. The US has condemned China's actions, with Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton stating that Washington stands by its Philippine allies and lauds their professionalism and restraint.
China's actions have been described as a gray-zone attack, designed to intimidate the Philippines while staying below the threshold of warfare. Experts believe that China is likely to continue its calibrated acts of low-level coercion against the Philippines, aiming to instigate domestic opposition to the pro-American stand of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
