China seems determined to establish a new Cold War in the Pacific. In their latest provocation, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command is pushing both sea and air patrols near the contested territory in the South China Sea known as the Scarborough Shoal.
The Philippines claim the Shoal as being within their Exclusive Economic Zone, but China has made a territorial claim to the Shoal, which they call “Huangyan Dao.”
Chinese air and naval forces staged “combat readiness patrols” around Scarborough Shoal last Sunday, marking Beijing’s final major show of strength against Manila over the disputed South China Sea maritime feature in 2024.
According to the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, the snap People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command drills were conducted to “resolutely safeguard China’s national sovereignty…
