China Plays South China Sea-Style “Salami Slicing” Tricks In The Yellow Sea; What’s Cooking In Indo-Pacific?

After aggressive posturing in the South China Sea, China is upping the ante in the Yellow Sea, following the building of a gigantic steel rig.

This has been a bone of contention between South Korea and China. The Coast Guards of the two countries recently had a standoff after Korean ships wanted to investigate the steel structure.

South Korean news agency Yonhap quoted diplomatic sources as saying that the two coast guards had engaged in a two-hour-long standoff. The confrontation took place on the afternoon of February 26 in the Provisional Maritime Zone (PMZ) near Socotra Rock, southwest of South Korea’s Jeju Island.

The PMZ is a jointly managed stretch of the Yellow Sea, also known in Korea as the West Sea, where the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of China and South Korea overlap.

In an uncanny similarity to its strategy against the Philippines Coast Guard, the Chinese coast guard vessels and civilian boats blocked the South Korean research ship Onnuri, which was there at the behest of the South Korean government to conduct a survey of the structure.

According to South Korean media, in response, Seoul dispatched a coast guard vessel to the scene, resulting in a two-hour standoff. South Korea contended its inspection was legitimate, whereas the Chinese side claimed that the structure was an aquafarm and asked the Korean vessel to leave.

South Korea had reportedly summoned an official from the Chinese Embassy in Seoul to lodge a protest over the incident.

Latest satellite images indicate that China has installed several large steel platforms in the PMZ. The PMZ was established under a 2000 agreement, which allows fishing and navigation in the disputed region until the maritime boundary issue is resolved.

This differs from the EEZ, which extends 200 nautical miles from the coast and grants the claimant country exclusive rights to access its underwater resources and fishing grounds, as per international maritime law.

Shen Lan 2 Hao (or Deep Blue 2) is a 71.5-meter-tall underwater marine cage deployed by China into the PMZ for salmon aquaculture. The massive cage and the jack-up support rig sparked concern in South Korea. The Korean government asserts its right to inspect the structure under the 2001 Korea-China Fisheries Agreement.

South Korea alleges that the structure was placed without prior notification or consent. On earlier occasions, China had installed platforms in the region, only to have them removed following protests from Seoul. However, the latest installation, featuring three long legs that can be lowered to the sea floor for stability, signals China’s beefing up of its presence in the region.

Move To Grab Territory?

The overlapping areas of EEZs between China and South Korea in the Yellow Sea are believed to be rich in natural resources, including oil. In pursuance of cementing its claims, China has been installing artificial structures.

Ray Powell, the Director of SeaLight and Project Lead for Project Myoushu at Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, examined the images from Planet Labs. According to him, the rig measures approximately 108 meters long (from helipad to its opposite tower) and 82 meters broad.

Based on SeaLight’s analysis, “this rig was first deployed in October 2022. The new rig replaced a smaller rig that was sent out at least two years before to join Shen Lan 2 Hao’s own smaller predecessor, Shen Lan 1 Hao, which was first deployed in 2018 to much fanfare.”

Sealight analysis sheds light on the impasse in the East China Sea. The Qingdao-based China Coast Guard (CCG) 6402, along with the patrolling CCG 6305 and three civilian-crewed rubber boats, blocked the path of the Korean research vessel. Chinese civilians aboard the rubber boats were reportedly armed with knives and shouted demands to leave.

China claims Shen Lan 2 Hao heralds a new era in sustainable aquaculture. It is operated by the state-backed Shandong Marine Group and features automated feeding systems, underwater imaging, and remote-control capabilities, enabling salmon farming in 9,000 cubic meters of caged water. Disregarding the 2001 agreement, Beijing claims the structure is located within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

However, the Socotra Rock, known as Ieodo in South Korea and Suyan Islet in China, where the standoff took place, is a submerged rock formation that falls within the overlapping EEZ claims between the two countries. In fact, in 2003, when South Korea set up the Ieodo Ocean Research Centre, Beijing described the move as “unilateral” and “illegal.”

According to Powell, “A more cynical view is that this is an early step in bringing a South China Sea-style gray zone campaign of ‘salami slicing’ to the Yellow Sea. In this view, the incremental deployment of rigs of increasing size into the PMZ reflects a recognizable pattern of testing rival states’ resolve with ostensibly civilian and coast guard presence while avoiding overt militarization.”

The former USAF veteran, Powell, contends that China’s civil-military fusion keeps the door open for non-salmon harvesting activities, such as intelligence collection, close to its giant support rig. There is no difference between the Chinese Navy, Coast Guard, and militia. It is all under the aegis of national maritime security. They just have different roles. It is a ‘might be the right’ kind of setup. That is why like-minded countries are coming together to establish a rule-based order.

China’s distant-water fishing fleet has been suspected of intelligence gathering and is the vanguard of China’s “Gray Zone Tactics.”

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Philippines, China accuse each other of dangerous moves in disputed South China Sea shoal

China and the Philippines accused each other on Tuesday of dangerous manoeuvres in a hotly disputed shoal in the South China Sea, in the latest confrontation over the waterway.

A Chinese coast guard vessel sped up and manoeuvred on Monday to block the navigation route of a Philippine vessel around 36 nautical miles off the Scarborough shoal, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

"This incident highlights the CCG's non-compliance with the international regulations ... and reflects a blatant disregard for safety at sea," it said.

China's coast guard said the Philippine vessel "dangerously approached" its ship and crossed its route, alleging it attempted to stage a false collision, Xinhua reported on Tuesday.

"They illegally approached China’s normal sailing coast guard ship in a dangerous manner, threatening the safety of China’s personnel and ships," Xinhua reported.

Tensions between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea have escalated in the last two years, including in the Scarborough Shoal, a prime fishing patch claimed by both as their territory.

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, a vital waterway for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, parts of which are also claimed by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

The Philippine Coast Guard deployed a plane on Tuesday to challenge a Chinese research vessel which it said was operating without authority in its northern waters near Taiwan.

Chinese research vessel Zhong Shan Da Xue was spotted around 78 nautical miles off the northern island province of Batanes, and did not respond to attempts by the Philippine Coast Guard's Islander aircraft to establish radio communication.

"PCG aviators underscored on their radio challenge that the said Chinese vessel lacks the authority to conduct marine scientific research within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines," the coast guard said.

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South Korea Installs Platform to Monitor Chinese Presence in Disputed Sea

 

South Korea has set up a “reciprocal” platform in a disputed area of the Yellow Sea, known in Seoul as the West Sea, where China has increasingly built structures, Oceans Minister Kang Do-hyung said on Wednesday.

China says its structures are fish farming equipment, but they have raised alarm bells in Seoul over concerns Beijing could be seeking to stake claims in the Provisional Maritime Zone, where the two countries’ exclusive economic zones overlap.

Kang told parliament that South Korea is monitoring the Chinese presence by setting up a stationary floating platform for “environmental survey.”

“South Korea has taken reciprocal measure with a large-scale floating object,” he said.

In February, a South Korean research vessel sent to examine the Chinese structures was blocked by Chinese coast guard ships and rubber boats carrying civilians, according to South Korean media reports.

The South Korean coast guard also deployed and was involved in a two-hour stand-off before retreating, the reports said.

Lawmakers from South Korea’s ruling People Power Party on Tuesday called the Chinese presence a “direct challenge to marine security” and urged a more forceful response.

Kwon Young-se, chairman of the party’s emergency response committee, said China was using fishing as a pretext and compared its actions to those it has taken in the South China Sea, where Beijing claims vast swathes of the area, despite overlapping claims by Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

“The West Sea is not just a sea, the West Sea is Korea,” he said. “It is where many fishermen make their living, and the front line of our security.”

In a statement on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Seoul said some reports about the structures were not factual and that they do not violate any agreements.

“The fact is that the relevant facilities set up by China are deep-sea fishery aquaculture facilities located in China’s coastal waters, which are China’s reasonable use of offshore marine resources,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

China maintains communication through diplomatic channels, and hopes to “avoid unwarranted politicization of the matter,” the spokesperson added. “China and South Korea have maintained good and smooth communication on their differences related to the sea.”

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G7 ministers condemn China's 'coercive' actions in South China Sea

 

Foreign ministers of the G7 nations have condemned China's actions that have posed risks to regional stability, while expressing concern over efforts to restrict freedom of navigation and overflight through "force" and "coercion" in the South China Sea.

This was conveyed on Friday in the Declaration on Maritime Security and Prosperity by G7 foreign ministers following their meeting in La Malbaie, Canada this week.

"We condemn China's illicit, provocative, coercive and dangerous actions that seek unilaterally to alter the status quo in such a way as to risk undermining the stability of regions, including through land reclamations, and building of outposts, as well as their use for military purpose," the declaration read.

It added, "We oppose unilateral attempts to change the status quo, in particular by force or coercion including in the East and South China Seas."

The ministers highlighted the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight, which have been  areas of concern for the Philippines amid its territorial dispute with China.

Aside from past incidents of water cannon attacks in the West Philippine Sea, tensions between the two countries have also reached the skies. One such incident happened last February, when a Chinese helicopter flew as close as three meters above and on the side of an aircraft of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) over Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal.

"We condemn, as well, dangerous vessel maneuvers, the indiscriminate attacks against commercial vessels and other maritime actions that undermine maritime order based on the rule of law and international law," the ministers said.

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Vietnam Registers Tonkin Gulf Maritime Boundaries with UN Under UNCLOS

 Vietnam Registers Tonkin Gulf Maritime Boundaries with UN Under UNCLOS

 UN Confirms Vietnam's Submission of Nautical Chart and Baseline Coordinates

The United Nations has officially acknowledged Vietnam's registration of its nautical chart and baseline coordinates for the Tonkin Gulf, further strengthening the country's maritime boundaries under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Vietnam's Baseline Registration at the UN

In a notification dated March 12 to UN member states, the Secretary-General confirmed that on March 7, the Government of Vietnam submitted its nautical chart and a list of geographic coordinates outlining straight baselines for its mainland territory in the Tonkin Gulf. This submission, made in accordance with Article 16(2) of UNCLOS, also defines the outer limits of Vietnam’s territorial sea in the region.

The UN website officially published Vietnam’s baseline submission details on March 14, further solidifying its legal standing under international maritime law.

Additionally, the notification highlighted that Vietnam’s official declaration on February 21, 2025, regarding the baseline used to determine the breadth of its territorial sea in the Tonkin Gulf, will be included in an upcoming edition of the UN’s "Law of the Sea Bulletin."

Vietnam’s move to register its baselines is a significant step in affirming its maritime sovereignty and ensuring compliance with UNCLOS regulations. This development is expected to contribute to regional stability and enhance legal clarity in the Tonkin Gulf.

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Beijing Treads Water in the South China Sea

2024 brought increased tensions between China and Southeast Asian nations over South China Sea disputes. China continued down the same dangerous but ultimately ineffective path it has walked since 2022, failing to make and consolidate gains in the region.

Beijing modestly increased the intensity of China Coast Guard (CCG) patrols in the exclusive economic zones of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. It also employed new and more frequent forms of grey zone violence, particularly against the Philippines. In the face of this pressure, Southeast Asian claimants made modest gains while Beijing failed in both its tactical and strategic aims.

Tensions between China and the Philippines at Second Thomas Shoal posed a dangerous risk of escalation. The Philippines maintains a tenuous military base at the shoal via the grounded BRP Sierra Madre. The 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration award ruled that the shoal is part of the Philippine exclusive economic zone, but China still claims it.

CCG and militia ships blockaded Philippine resupply missions to the Sierra Madre in 2023 and early 2024. This was an attempt to prevent the Philippines from delivering construction materials to repair the ship.

The CCG and militia presence around Second Thomas Shoal remained elevated in the first six months of 2024. They changed their tactics to more aggressively damage Philippine vessels, leading to multiple injuries to Filipino personnel and a growing anxiety that an accidental fatality might trigger US defence obligations under the US–Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty.

This came to a head on 17 June 2024 when the Philippines was unable to complete a resupply mission due to CCG personnel ramming and boarding Philippine vessels while armed with knives and other weapons. A Filipino sailor had his thumb severed during the clash, and it took hours for China to allow his evacuation.

The tone of US–China and Philippines–China meetings shifted as Beijing seemed concerned that the incident came close to triggering US intervention due to the near death of a Filipino sailor.

The Philippines was willing to cut a deal to return to the status quo ante, having sufficiently repaired the Sierra Madre. Manila had achieved its tactical aim, while Beijing had not. At the next Bilateral Consultative Mechanism between Manila and Beijing, the two sides reached a provisional agreement — the Philippines would bring only necessary supplies to the Sierra Madre, and China would end the blockade. The deal has held, though violence and collisions continue at other sites, particularly Sabina and Scarborough Shoals.

Farther south, Indonesia and Malaysia faced an increased number of CCG vessels in their waters harassing oil and gas operations. A diplomatic letter leaked in September 2024 revealed China had pressured Malaysia to halt oil and gas exploration near Luconia Shoals. This was not mere rhetoric — for the first time, at least one CCG vessel patrolled Malaysian waters around Luconia Shoals every day of the year.

China also challenged a seismic survey in Indonesia’s Natuna D-Alpha gas field conducted by PT Pertamina. During a three-week standoff between CCG, Indonesian law enforcement and naval vessels in October 2024, Indonesia publicly released photos and footage of China’s harassment. Despite Chinese operations, Malaysia drilled 15 new exploratory wells off Sarawak in 2024 and Indonesia completed its survey operations — another tactical success by Southeast Asian claimants standing up to grey zone pressure.

China also failed to contain Vietnam’s operations — Vietnam undertook the most significant expansion of its outposts in a single year, focusing on Barque Canada Reef, now the fourth-largest outpost in the Spratly Islands. By mid-2024, Vietnam had created more than two-thirds as much land as China in the Spratlys and may match China’s acreage in 2025. Satellite imagery shows that while Vietnam is still building its second runway at Barque Canada Reef, Pearson Reef has been expanded to fit another runway.

While tensions and the risk of escalation reached a new high point in 2024, it is worth asking which claimants, if any, improved their positions. The Philippines repaired the Sierra Madre while barely avoiding a major escalation. It instrumentalised the violence it faced to persuade 27 countries, plus the European Union, to call for Beijing to comply with the 2016 arbitral award.

On the ground, the Philippines modernised its alliance with the United States, signed a major new Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan, and deepened defence ties with other partners, including Australia, Germany, France, New Zealand, South Korea and Vietnam. This is a major strategic setback for Beijing and is far more costly than its tactical failure to prevent repairs to the Sierra Madre.

Vietnam built out its islands and began constructing dual-use infrastructure without facing significant costs from Beijing. Indonesia successfully surveyed the Natuna D-Alpha field, while Malaysia developed more oil and gas projects in the South China Sea in 2024 than in any previous year.

In contrast, China controlled no more water or airspace on 31 December 2024 than on 1 January. It had not stopped a single major oil and gas project and was unable to attain its most public goal — preventing the Philippines from delivering construction materials to repair the Sierra Madre. It also pushed the Philippines deeper into the emerging alliance network that Beijing insists is contrary to its own strategic interests.

If China pursues the same tactics in 2025, it is likely to get the same results — no tactical gain, further deterioration of the regional strategic environment and an unacceptably high risk of accidental escalation.

Gregory Poling is Senior Fellow and Director of the Southeast Asia Program and the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Washington DC.

Monica Michiko Sato is Research Associate of the Asia Maritime Security Initiative (AMTI) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Washington, D.C.

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UK Foreign Secretary Condemns China's "Dangerous" Activities in South China Sea

 UK Foreign Secretary Condemns China's "Dangerous" Activities in South China Sea 

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has strongly criticized China's actions in the disputed South China Sea, describing them as "dangerous and destabilizing." The comments came following Lammy's recent visit to the Philippines over the weekend.

In a video partially recorded aboard a Philippine Coast Guard vessel, Lammy expressed concern over China's activities in the region. "We're concerned about dangerous and destabilizing activities by China in this region. The Philippines is at the sharp end of this, facing frequent challenges to freedom of navigation and international law," he stated.

Lammy emphasized the importance of safe and secure trade routes in the South China Sea for global economic growth. "Growth in the UK and around the world depends on these trade routes being safe and secure," he said in the video shared on social media platform X.

The South China Sea, a strategically vital waterway, is claimed almost entirely by China, despite an international ruling invalidating Beijing's claims. China has been deploying navy and coast guard vessels to prevent Manila from accessing crucial reefs and islands in the area, resulting in a series of recent confrontations.

During his visit, Lammy and his Filipino counterpart, Enrique Manalo, signed a joint framework agreement to enhance defense and maritime cooperation between the UK and the Philippines. "This joint framework will help us deliver more cooperation on defence, on regional security, on trade, on science, on tech, on climate and nature over this coming period," Lammy announced at a press conference in Manila.

This agreement follows a similar deal between the Philippines and Canada last week, aimed at strengthening their security partnership. Manila has been actively seeking such pacts with various nations, including the United States, Australia, and Japan, in response to increasing tensions with China in the region.

The UK's stance aligns with growing international concern over China's assertive behavior in the South China Sea, as nations seek to maintain freedom of navigation and uphold international law in these contested waters.

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UK condemns Beijing's 'dangerous' South China Sea activity

 UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy slammed "dangerous and destabilising" activity by Beijing in the disputed South China Sea on Monday, following a weekend visit to the Philippines.

"We're concerned about dangerous and destabilising activities by China in this region," Lammy said in a video partly filmed alongside a vessel belonging to the Philippine Coast Guard, which has frequent tense confrontations with its Chinese counterpart.

"The Philippines is at the sharp end of this, facing frequent challenges to freedom of navigation and international law," Lammy added.

"Growth in the UK and around the world depends on these trade routes being safe and secure," Lammy said in the video shared on X.

China claims the strategically important South China Sea in nearly its entirety, despite an international ruling that its claims have no legal basis.

Beijing has deployed navy and coast guard vessels in a bid to bar Manila from crucial reefs and islands in the South China Sea, leading to a string of confrontations in recent months.

In a Saturday meeting with his Filipino counterpart Enrique Manalo, the UK and the Philippines signed a joint framework to boost defense and maritime cooperation.

"This joint framework will help us deliver more cooperation on defense, on regional security, on trade, on science, on tech, on climate and nature over this coming period," Lammy said at a Manila press conference.

It follows a deal between the Philippines and Canada last week to boost their security partnership, and is the latest such pact sought by Manila in the face of frequent clashes with the Chinese coast guard.

The Philippines has similar agreements with the United States, Australia and Japan.

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China Main Culprit in South China Sea Marine Habitat Destruction

 China Main Culprit in South China Sea Marine Habitat Destruction

 

China's artificial island-building activities are responsible for approximately two-thirds of marine habitat destruction caused by dredge-and-fill construction in the South China Sea, according to recent research.

Since 2013, China has buried over 4,600 acres (around 19 square kilometers) of coral reefs, as reported by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) in January 2025. AMTI, a project under the U.S.-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), analyzed satellite imagery and concluded that China accounted for 65% of the total 8,000 acres of coral reef damage.

The report highlighted that these artificial island-building projects result in irreversible and long-term impacts on the reef's structure and overall ecological health.

AMTI researchers examined coral reef destruction caused by various claimants in the South China Sea—including Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam—and identified China as the primary offender. China's expansive territorial claims over nearly all of this strategic waterway disregard a 2016 international tribunal ruling that invalidated its claims.

The December 2023 AMTI report titled "Deep Blue Scars: Environmental Threats to the South China Sea" detailed China's destructive dredging methods. Chinese cutter suction dredgers cut into reefs and pumped sediment through pipelines to shallow areas, creating landfill. This process disturbed seabed habitats and generated abrasive sediment clouds that killed marine life and overwhelmed coral reefs' natural recovery capabilities.

Moreover, Chinese vessels harvesting giant clams have damaged an additional 16,353 acres (66 square kilometers) of coral reef. The harvested clam shells are carved into jewelry or statues sold in China. Fishermen employ a particularly harmful technique involving specially designed brass propellers dragged across reefs to facilitate clam collection.

This latest report coincides with the Philippines' consideration of initiating another arbitration case against China for ongoing violations of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Manila previously initiated arbitration proceedings leading to the 2016 ruling against China's claims and has expressed hope that other nations might join a potential multilateral legal action.

The 2016 tribunal ruling found China's artificial island-building at seven reefs breached six UNCLOS obligations, including responsibilities to protect marine environments, reduce pollution, and cooperate in managing marine resources sustainably.

A new arbitration case could involve similar environmental allegations. Previously, the Philippines called for an international investigation into environmental damage caused by giant clam harvesting at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. Additionally, Manila may pursue a nonbinding UN resolution to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), according to AMTI Director Gregory B. Poling.

During the UN General Assembly session in September 2024, the Philippines gathered senior officials from over 20 countries to demonstrate international solidarity against China's actions regarding South China Sea disputes. Poling emphasized that pursuing both legal and diplomatic measures would mutually reinforce each other, expanding Manila's options for arbitration through greater engagement with UN mechanisms.

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US-Japan South China Sea Statement ‘Attacks and Smears China’

Beijing said on Monday that a joint statement by the United States and Japan condemning its “provocative activities” in the contested South China Sea “attacks and smears” China.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea, despite an international ruling in 2016 concluding this has no legal basis.

US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Friday they opposed China’s “unlawful maritime claims, militarisation of reclaimed features, and threatening and provocative activities in the South China Sea” after they met in Washington.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun hit back saying: “The China-related content of the US-Japan joint statement blatantly interferes in China’s internal affairs, attacks and smears China and exaggerates regional tensions.”

China had “lodged solemn representations” with both countries, he added at a regular press briefing.

Friday’s meeting was the first between Trump and Ishiba, who both heaped praise on the other and doubled down on decades-old ties in security and trade.

Japan is one of the United States’ closest allies in Asia, with around 54,000 US military personnel stationed in the country.

Beijing has in recent months pressed its territorial claims in the South China Sea — which overlap Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines and Taiwan’s — more stridently.

It has deployed navy and coast guard vessels in a bid to bar the Philippines from strategically important reefs and islands in the area.

The Philippines and United States are bound by a mutual defense pact, and the recent clashes have sparked fears the US military could be drawn into an escalation.

In January, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced “serious concern” over what he called Beijing’s “coercive” moves in the South China Sea and Taiwan, during his first call with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

China claims democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as its territory and has not renounced the use of force to claim it.

Trump and Ishiba said in their joint statement that they support Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and “opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo (in the Taiwan Strait) by force or coercion.”

Like most countries, the United States has no official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but it is the island’s main supplier of arms for defense.

Guo warned the United States and Japan on Monday to “clearly oppose Taiwan independence.”

“If the relevant countries really care about peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, they should abide by the one-China principle and clearly oppose Taiwan independence,” he said. 

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Asean maritime pacts ‘can boost talks on South China Sea code’

 The Philippines’ foreign secretary says efforts among Asean members could bolster progress in negotiating a substantive code of conduct for the South China Sea.

Enhanced maritime cooperation among Asean members could help advance negotiations for a code of conduct in the South China Sea, says Philippine foreign secretary Enrique Manalo.

“We have the basic negotiations between the Asean countries and China, but this doesn’t prevent other countries from seeking maritime cooperative activities with each other, because that, too, will help, even with China,” he said.

“All of these could work and be supportive of the negotiations on the code,” he told FMT.

Manalo, who is in Langkawi for the Asean foreign ministers’ retreat, reiterated the Philippines’ full commitment to the COC negotiations, which began in 2018.

Talks about conduct guidelines began in the 1990s due to China’s assertive claims over much of the South China Sea.

He said critical issues must be dealt with urgently, such as whether the code of conduct would be legally binding, the scope of the code, and its alignment with international laws, particularly the United Nations convention on the law of the sea.

“It’s only in this way that we can really push and move the negotiations forward,” he said. “We can’t do that in an effective way unless we also start discussing the issues.”

Progress on the code has been lagging, while the Philippines, one of the frontline states, has been increasingly vocal about the importance of ensuring a substantive and legally binding agreement.

China’s claims over the South China Sea are disputed by the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

Last month, Malaysia became the first Southeast Asian country to sign a comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam. It is believed that Indonesia and the Philippines may soon follow suit, as Asean members begin uniting more assertively against China’s claims.

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US VP Harris supports maintaining US-PH ties

 

US Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized the importance of maintaining the steadfast support of the United States for the Philippines, particularly in light of China’s continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

“Indeed, and I will tell you from my first visit to Manila and our first conversation, it is extremely important to me and to the United States that we reaffirm the commitment to the defense of the Philippines including the South China Sea,” Vice President Harris told President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during the two leaders’ phone call late Tuesday.

The call between Harris and President Marcos came just a few days after a trilateral phone conversation involving US President Joe Biden and Japan Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru on Monday.

Harris reflected on her historic visit to the Philippines, especially her trip to Palawan in November 2022, which she said underscored “the vulnerability in the region.”

She noted the visit strengthened President Biden’s resolve to support the Philippines in terms of both security and prosperity.

“I know there is bipartisan support within the United States Congress and within the US for the strength of this relationship and the enduring nature of it in terms of security, but again prosperity and to your point of people-to-people ties,” Harris told President Marcos.

In response, President Marcos expressed gratitude for the US Vice President’s sentiments, highlighting the robust and productive partnership between the Philippines and the United States.

“Madame Vice President, before I came to this call I was going through all of the things that we had discussed in the past couple of years. And it is remarkable how much work we have been able to do and how much it has progressed and developed the relationship between our two countries. Already very strong relationship but evolving and evolving for the modern challenges that we face, both for us and the South China Sea and for the United States around the world,” President Marcos said.

“As I told President Biden when I spoke to him, I said that, I remember … just before we signed the trilateral agreement in Washington, that, I said to President Biden that this will change the dynamic of the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific. And it certainly has done that,” he added.

President Marcos also emphasized the ties among the Philippines, the US and Japan have gained recognition within ASEAN, strengthening their collective position on pressing issues in the West Philippine Sea.

He further acknowledged Vice President Harris’ significant contributions to the Philippines, stating that her efforts have provided a strong foundation for continued collaboration between the two nations.

The President particularly noted the economic, diplomatic, defense and security levels, which he described as “terribly encouraging.”

President Marcos said he hopes “to build on that and continue to work” on what the two nations have begun grounded on shared values and international law.

Before the telephone call concluded, President Marcos invited Harris to visit the Philippines again.

President Marcos had a meeting with Harris before the beginning of the APEC conference in San Francisco in November 2023.

The meeting centered on the Philippine assessment on the situation in the West Philippines Sea.

They met previously when Harris visited Manila in November 2022; the Vice President hosting President Marcos at the Naval Observatory in May 2023; a bilateral meeting on the margins of the East Asia Summit in Jakarta in September 2023; and a trilateral meeting with Japan Prime Minister Kishida in Jakarta in September 2023.

The Philippines and the US established formal diplomatic relations on July 4, 1946.

The United States is the Philippines’ oldest and only treaty ally. Bilateral defense and security engagement remains the key pillar of PH-U.S. bilateral relations and is carried out within the framework of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), and other bilateral agreements.

In 2023, the US ranked as the third top trading partner of the Philippines with total trade valued at US$19.96 billion. 

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Philippines threatens legal action after Chinese coast guard ship sails in disputed South China Sea

 

A Philippine security official says that China is pushing the country "to the wall" with growing aggression in the disputed South China Sea, warning that "all options are on the table" for Manila's response, including new international lawsuits.

A large Chinese coast guard ship patrolled hotly disputed Scarborough Shoal in recent days and then sailed toward the north-western coast of the Philippines on Tuesday, coming as close as 77 nautical miles (143 kilometres), Philippine officials said in a news conference on Tuesday.

"The presence of the monster ship in Filipino waters … 77 nautical miles from our shoreline, is unacceptable and, therefore, it should be withdrawn immediately by the Chinese government," Jonathan Malaya, assistant director-general of the National Security Council, said at the news conference alongside senior military and coast guard officials.

"We do not and will not dignify these scare tactics by backing down. We do not waver or cower in the face of intimidation. On the contrary, it strengthens our resolve because we know we are in the right."

A Chinese official said in Beijing that his country's sovereignty in the South China Sea is well established and its coast guard patrols are lawful and justified.

"We once again urge the Philippines to immediately stop all infringement, provocation and malicious hype," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.

The Chinese government has repeatedly accused the Philippines and other rival claimant states including Vietnam and Malaysia of encroaching on what it says are "undisputed" Chinese territorial waters.

 

Philippines working with Asian nations on security deals

 

Two Philippine coast guard ships, backed by a small surveillance aircraft, repeatedly ordered the 165-meter Chinese coast guard ship to withdraw from the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, a 200-nautical mile (370-kilometre) stretch of water, Philippine coast guard Commodore Jay Tarriela said.

"What we're doing there is, hour-by-hour and day-to-day, [we're] challenging the illegal presence of the Chinese coast guard for the international community to know that we're not going to allow China to normalise the illegal deployment," Mr Tarriela said.

Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office in mid-2022, the Philippines has aggressively defended its territorial interests in the South China Sea, a key global trading route.

That has brought Philippine forces into frequent confrontation with China's coast guard, navy and suspected militia boats and sparked fears that a bigger armed conflict could draw in the United States, the Philippines' longtime treaty ally and China's regional rival.

The lopsided conflict has forced the Philippines to seek security arrangements with other Asian and Western countries, including Japan, with which it signed a key agreement last July which would allow their forces to hold joint combat training.

 

The pact, which must be ratified by officials of both countries before it takes effect, was the first such agreement to be forged by Japan in Asia.

 

China surrounded Scarborough Shoal with its coast guard and other ships after a tense territorial stand-off with the Philippines in 2012.

The Philippines responded by bringing its disputes with China to international arbitration in 2013 and largely won three years later when an arbitration panel in The Hague invalidated China's expansive claims in the busy sea passage under the 1982 United Convention on the Law of the Sea.

China has rejected the 2016 arbitration ruling and continues to openly defy it.

"Will this lead to another case?" Mr Malaya said.

"All options are on the table because the closer the monster ship is in Philippine waters, the more it makes tensions high and the more that the Philippine government contemplates things it was not contemplating before."

China has warned the Philippines from pursuing another legal case in an international forum after the arbitration, preferring bilateral negotiations, which give Beijing an advantage because of its size and clout, a senior Philippine official has said on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to discuss such sensitive issues publicly.

The two countries have also been discussing their territorial conflicts under a bilateral consultation mechanism to avoid an escalation of the disputes. The next round of talks will be hosted by China, the official said. 

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US and Canadian warships hold joint drills in South China Sea

The Canadian naval ship HMCS Ottawa conducted a joint exercise with the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Higgins in the South China Sea, as reported by the Canadian Joint Operations Command. This comes amid growing tensions in the region.

During the Jan. 8 to 11 drills, codenamed Noble Wolverine, both ships “navigated through the South China Sea’s international waters while conducting communications exercises, flight operations and anti-submarine warfare training,” the command announced on its feed on the X social media site on Sunday.

The Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa also sailed near Scarborough Shoal, where the Chinese and Philippine coast guards have been engaged in a cat-and-mouse game for weeks.

The disputed chain of reefs is inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone but under China’s de-facto control.

Beijing has deployed its largest coast guard ship, dubbed “The Monster” for its size, to the area since the beginning of the year, which Manila sees as “an act of intimidation, coercion and aggression.”

The passing Canadian warship was closely followed by Chinese naval ships, Canada’s CTV News reported.

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