Philippines deploys coast guard flagship to South China Sea waters

The Philippines has dispatched its coast guard flagship to contested waters in the South China Sea, reinforcing what officials described as the country’s “unwavering commitment” to defending its sovereign rights within its internationally recognised exclusive economic zone, which extends up to 230 miles from its coastline.

The deployment comes as China continues to maintain a significant maritime presence in the region. Beijing recently conducted law-enforcement and combat-readiness patrols around Huangyan Dao, known in the Philippines as Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal, asserting that it is safeguarding China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime interests, Caliber.Az reports via Newsweek. 

Scarborough Shoal, located roughly 120 miles west of Luzon, has long been a flash point in the broader South China Sea dispute. Although claimed by both countries, the atoll has been effectively under Chinese control since a tense standoff in 2012. 

The Philippines, a longstanding treaty ally of the United States under a 1951 mutual defence pact, occupies a strategic position within the so-called first island chain—a line of territories stretching from Japan through Taiwan to Southeast Asia that figures prominently in US Indo-Pacific strategy.

Both Manila and Beijing are expected to sustain their maritime presence around Scarborough Shoal as they seek to reinforce their competing claims. 

By Sabina Mammadli