The Scarborough Shoal is once again making headlines. This contested region in the South China Sea has been teeming with global naval presence again. Just last month, the Philippine military conducted joint naval exercises just east of the shoal, with warships from Australia and Canada participating. Tensions between territorial claims in the region have increased sharply. China’s sovereignty China is vociferously asserting its sovereignty claim over the shoal and the surrounding waters.
The trilateral exercises included one of the Philippine Navy’s Jose Rizal class ships, HMAS Brisbane (Australia), and HMCS Ville de Quebec (Canada). The key goal of these exercises was to practice reacting to this aerial threat in the form of a simulated coordinated attack to theater defenses. This development underscores the stronger military relationship between these countries as tensions continue to rise in the region.
The Daiyutai Incident Scarborough Shoal has historically been a hotbed for escalating Chinese vessel-against-other-nation-vessel confrontations. China’s claim of sovereignty over the entire shoal and adjacent waters is incredibly tenuous. At the very least, the sovereignty over this area has not ever clearly been established. Today, it is a key traditional fishing ground that multiple countries rely on. These claimants include the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan, all of which have competing claims to the same area.
A Chinese navy ship collided with a Chinese coastguard vessel in the south China Sea on August 11 by accident. This roll over occurred in waters adjacent to Scarborough Shoal. This crash occurred as both ships were trying to intercept a Philippine coastguard ship. China’s military has claimed that Philippine vessels carried out “provocative maneuvers,” escalating tensions even more.
In spite of China’s claims, global efforts to defend maritime rights are ongoing and expanding. Australia, Canada, and the Philippines have joined forces in trilateral exercises around Scarborough Shoal. They sent three warships and military planes to showcase their military strength and to perform air defense drills. All these moves would be indicative of a joint commitment to reject China’s excessive reach around the South China Sea.
“This shows we can deploy a combat-ready and combat-capable force within the Indo-Pacific to assist a security partner such as the Philippines.” – Australian Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Raven
China’s increasingly assertive regional posture has led many of its Southeast Asian neighbors to strengthen their own defensive capabilities. In 2018, the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague decided that China’s mile-wide claims to most of the South China Sea were not legally supported. Despite this, Beijing has flatly dismissed the ruling. This frequent rejection has provided more tinder to this fire, further stoking the competition between countries with significant stakes in the region.
As military exercises continue, it is clear that the Scarborough Shoal remains one of the most sensitive regions in terms of geopolitical stability. Increased deployment of foreign naval forces further highlights the need for greater dialogue, transparency and conflict resolution as growing military awareness increases risks of miscalculation among competing actors.
