Global Impact | China, Philippines continue to clash in South China Sea, with new flashpoint emerging

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This week, just as China celebrated its 75th National Day, the People’s Liberation Army conducted a naval drill in the South China Sea to demonstrate Beijing’s resolve “in safeguarding peace and stability,” according to its Southern Theatre Command.

A week earlier, China carried out joint naval and air exercises around the hotly contested Scarborough Shoal as forces from the United States and the Philippine took part in five-way military manoeuvres within Manila’s exclusive economic zone.

On Wednesday, Vietnam’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Chinese law enforcers beat fishermen and took away equipment from a boat operating near Hoang Sa, Vietnam’s name for the Paracel Islands.

To bolster its diplomatic leverage in addressing maritime tensions in the South China Sea, the Philippines is campaigning for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, with Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo stating the rule of law “must prevail amid the current global challenges”.