Key facts
- China's coastguard conducted drills near Second Thomas Shoal and Sabina Shoal.
- The drills involved water cannons and drones.
- The exercises were described as preparation for "foreign infringement."
- China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea.
- An international tribunal ruled in 2016 that China's claims have no basis under international law.
China's coastguard recently conducted drills featuring water cannons and drones near two disputed reefs in the South China Sea, according to state media. The exercises around Second Thomas Shoal and Sabina Shoal were described as preparations for "foreign infringement" and a response to alleged Philippine "rights-violation and provocative acts."
The People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command stated that its naval and air forces conducted combat readiness patrols around Scarborough Shoal, calling them a "necessary countermeasure." China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea based on its nine-dash line map, a claim rejected by an international arbitral tribunal in 2016.