China's military conducted joint air and naval combat drills around the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, according to a statement from the People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command. The exercises took place in the airspace and territorial waters surrounding the shoal, which China refers to as Huangyan Dao.
The Chinese military described the drills as a necessary response to actions by unspecified "certain countries" that it claimed were undermining regional peace and stability. The shoal is also claimed by the Philippines, where it is known as Bajo de Masinloc.
According to the Chinese military, the exercise was intended to test and improve the combat readiness of its forces in defending national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights. In a separate development, China's military and coast guard also conducted patrols in the waters around Scarborough Shoal on June 30, with the China Coast Guard stating it had enhanced patrols and regulated ships engaged in "illegal rights-violation activities."
These patrols followed joint US-Philippine drills conducted in waters near Scarborough Shoal over the weekend. China's military had previously accused the Philippines of involving external countries in regional patrols, which it stated undermine peace and stability.
