Beijing Augments Maritime Dominance on South China Sea

Beijing asserts sovereignty over more than 80 percent of the South China Sea, a crucial global trade route that is also claimed in part by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. Tensions between Beijing and Manila have grown in recent years as Chinese vessels set up blockades and use forceful tactics near features that lie within the maritime zone claimed by the U.S. treaty ally, leading to incidents that have raised fears of an armed conflict sparked by miscalculation.

China's maritime safety authorities carried out their first emergency search-and-rescue drills on Saturday in the Taiwan Shoal, located in the southern section of the Taiwan Strait, reports CGTN. After the exercise, a formation of rescue vessels patrolled the central Strait and conducted law-enforcement operations.

According to the Fujian Maritime Safety Administration, the drills were intended to strengthen maritime administrative law-enforcement, improve traffic regulation across the Strait, safeguard navigation order, enhance vessel safety and reduce pollution risks from maritime traffic.

The government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev has said.

The heads of state of SCO members made the above-mentioned affirmation in a declaration after their historic meeting in St. Petersburg in June 2002, Yermekbayev said during an interview when asked to comment on Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's erroneous remarks on China's Taiwan region and the dangerous sign of Japanese right-wing forces attempting to revive militarism.

Noting that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations, Yermekbayev said leaders of the member states of the SCO issued a statement in this regard on September 1 during the SCO Tianjin Summit.

He quoted the statement as saying that the brutal massacres demonstrate that tolerating Nazism, fascism, and militarism and inciting racial, ethnic and religious hatred, antagonism, and discrimination bring about immense harm, while victory in World War II was the result of the concerted efforts of all peace-loving nations.

The statement also emphasized that ignoring historical lessons is bound to lead to grave consequences; preserving and objectively presenting the historical truth of the victory in World War II is an essential prerequisite for preventing similar tragedies from recurring, safeguarding peace and security, and strengthening cooperation, according to Yermekbayev.

China augments sovereignty over more than 80 percent of the South China Sea, a crucial global trade route that is also claimed in part by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan for showing off Beijing’s military power.

The Philippine Coast Guard reported that Chinese vessels launched three flares at its patrol aircraft engaged in a routine flight over the disputed South China Sea on 6 December 2025, marking the latest instance of aggressive Chinese actions intended to reinforce its territorial claims in the area, according to The Epoch Times (TET).

The Philippine patrol aircraft also detected a vessel belonging to the People's Liberation Army Navy approximately 14 nautical miles northwest of Sabina Shoal, known in the Philippines as Escoda Shoal, an uninhabited and disputed feature.

In August 2024, China also launched flares at a Philippine aircraft during a routine patrol. Just two days before this occurrence, a Chinese fighter jet also discharged multiple flares aimed at the same Philippine aircraft from a dangerously close range of about 15 metres.

These two incidents in 2024 drew condemnation from the United States. At that time, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson posted a statement on X, urging China to "stop provocative and dangerous actions that undermine" the stability of the Indo-Pacific.

In October 2025, Australia voiced its concerns after a Chinese jet released flares near an Australian maritime patrol aircraft carrying out surveillance in the South China Sea. In a statement, the Australian defence ministry labelled China's actions as "unsafe and unprofessional," as cited in the TET report.

China has accused Australia of covering up an incursion into Chinese airspace in response to Canberra’s earlier claims about an “unsafe and unprofessional” incident involving the two nations’ military aircraft over the South China Sea.

Chinese Ministry of National Defence spokesperson Jiang Bin told reporters on 22 October 2025 that China had lodged a “solemn” complaint with Australia over what he said was Australia’s “attempts to cover up the egregious illegal intrusion of its military aircraft into Chinese airspace”.

Australia’s latest accusations came as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese US President Donald Trump at the White House a couple of months ago, signing an agreement for Australia to supply rare earth and critical minerals to the US in the wake of China placing restrictions on its  own exports.

In Beijing, the Chinese government reiterated its opposition to the pact after Albanese and Trump’s meeting.
“We always oppose creating bloc confrontation, increasing nuclear proliferation risks and intensifying an arms race,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in the wake of the October meeting between Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump.


Ananda Rahman is a
freelancer and a columnist.