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US-Japan-Philippines alliance adds to Beijing’s challenges in East and South China Seas
- Beijing’s latest confrontations with Tokyo and Manila over contested islands come as they strengthen maritime coalition with Washington
- Analyst says tensions in Taiwan Strait, East China Sea and South China Sea are linked as US tries to rally its partners in Indo-Pacific
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In just three days, China has been locked in maritime confrontations with two of its neighbours.
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In the South China Sea, tensions have flared again between China and the Philippines over contested reefs, while in the East China Sea, Beijing’s dispute with Tokyo over a set of islands resurfaced with a visit by a group of Japanese lawmakers.
Observers say the tensions underscore the growing challenges China faces with the emergence of a US-led maritime coalition that includes Tokyo and Manila.
On Tuesday, three Chinese coastguard ships fired water cannons at two Philippine vessels in the South China Sea near the Beijing-controlled Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China.
The incident coincided with major joint naval drills between Manila and Washington, dubbed Balikatan, or “shoulder to shoulder”, and came after the first joint summit between the US, Japan and the Philippines in Washington earlier this month.
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