The Chinese military stated on the 20th that a Philippine warship sailed into the Scarborough Shoal (referred to by the Philippines as the Scarborough Shoal), with the PLA Southern Theater Navy tracking, monitoring, warning, and driving it away.
According to a message released late Sunday night by the Southern Theater Command on their WeChat public account, Zhao Zhiwei, spokesperson for the Southern Theater Navy, said that the Philippine No. 36 frigate entered the territorial waters of the Scarborough Shoal without the approval of the Chinese government. The Southern Theater Command Navy organized forces to track, monitor, warn, and drive it away.
Zhao Zhiwei stated that Manila’s actions seriously violate Beijing’s sovereignty and contravene relevant Chinese laws and international law provisions. Beijing warns Manila to immediately cease violations and provocations, otherwise, all resulting consequences will be borne by the Philippines. The theater troops are on high alert at all times, defending national sovereignty and security, and maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea region.
The current tension between China and the Philippines over the Scarborough Shoal began in November last year. At that time, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed two new laws to open up routes in Philippine waters and airspace to clarify maritime rights and establish a system for foreign ships and aircraft to exercise passage rights.
Subsequently, China announced the baseline of the Scarborough Shoal's territorial waters as a countermeasure to the Philippines, additionally deploying naval and air forces to conduct combat patrols around the area to further assert sovereignty.