Philippines eyes more joint drills in South China Sea and beyond
THE PHILIPPINE military plans to hold more joint naval drills with its allies in the South China Sea and beyond as it expects heightened Chinese coerciveness in the disputed waters, a navy spokesman said on Tuesday.
Philippine forces plan to expand naval exercises beyond traditional allies to strengthen deterrence as Manila faces growing Chinese assertiveness and may also stage similar drills beyond the South China Sea, said Rear Admiral Roy Vincent T. Trinidad, navy spokesman on the South China Sea.
“There will be an increase in our multilateral participants… [and] there will be an increase in our multilateral engagements and exercises,” he told a media briefing.
Beijing claims nearly the entire South China Sea under its “nine-dash line” map and has deployed maritime forces near disputed features, leading to clashes at sea as the Philippines pushes back against China’s expansive claims.
A United Nations-backed arbitral tribunal ruled in 2016 that China’s claim is illegal, a decision Beijing has rejected.
The Philippines has stepped up efforts to counter Beijing’s sweeping sea claims by broadening alliances beyond the US, its longstanding treaty partner. Manila has also increasingly conducted what it calls maritime cooperative activities with other allies to push back against China’s growing presence, which it sees as destabilizing regional security.
Mr. Trinidad said the military will plan where to hold its exercises based on the country’s security situation. “These exercises conducted would be responsive enough to the dynamics of the region.”
He added that Philippine forces expect China to continue deepening the integration of its maritime forces to expand Chinese control over disputed South China Sea features.
Mr. Trinidad’s statement followed the release of a Philippine Navy report, which found Beijing had stepped up its coerciveness in the contested waters by shifting their deployment patterns.
China’s navy and coast guard have boosted coordination in their deployments, complementing each other’s presence in a bid to expand control over the contested waters.
The Philippine Navy recorded a total of 447 Chinese law enforcement and military vessels deployed in the South China Sea, including areas within the Philippine exclusive economic zone. This is up from 278 vessels seen in 2024.
The report also noted that the presence of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) in 2025 was also more consistent, predictable, and geographically closer to contested areas.
The Navy report also observed the increased presence of PLA-N, China’s coast guard and maritime militia following nearly every Maritime Cooperative Activities the Philippines conducted with its allies and partners.
“We expect this trend to continue, not only on sea, but even air,” said Mr. Trinidad.
Beijing rejected the Philippine Navy’s report which stated that China has heightened its coercive behavior in the South China Sea, according to the Chinese Embassy in Manila.
“It is full of misperceptions and bias against China, maliciously slanders China’s military activities, distorts China’s position on the South China Sea issue and deliberately misleads the public,” the Embassy said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Chinese Embassy said that it is pursuing a defense policy which is “defensive in nature and adheres to a military strategy of active defense,” meant to safeguard its national sovereignty, security, and development interests.
It added that Beijing’s military has acted in accordance with domestic and international law and has been defending its rights and interests in a justified, appropriate, and restrained manner.
“The Philippines has deliberately stirred up tensions and frequently engaged in large-scale military exercises with non-regional countries,” it added.
FALSE NARRATIVE
Meanwhile, Mr. Trinidad countered a Chinese natural resources ministry report that accused the Philippines of damaging Scarborough Shoal’s ecosystem as Beijing eyes “strict protection measures” there.
“Historically, it has been the agents of aggression of the Chinese Communist Party that have been documented doing environmental degradation and damage,” he said.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.
Manila and Beijing both claim Scarborough Shoal, which is prized for its rich ecosystem and proximity to key shipping lanes. The 2016 decision had said China had caused severe harm to Scarborough’s coral reefs.
The Chinese report said that “illegal fishing activities and frequent intrusions” by the Philippines have stressed the disputed feature’s ecosystem.
“These are all false narratives which we do not accept,” Mr. Trinidad said.
In September, China approved the creation of a 3,500-hectare reserve at the northeast rim of Scarborough Shoal, which it said is intended to preserve the ecological diversity of one of the waterway’s most contested areas. Manila has called the plan a “clear pretext for occupation.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio with Adrian H. Halili
