The Philippine and United States air forces have conducted joint patrols over the South China Sea, angering China, which also conducted a "routine patrol" over the disputed Scarborough Shoal. The incident came amid rising tensions between the Philippines and China over overlapping territorial claims in the strategically important waterway.
The exercise, held in the West Philippine Sea, was intended to improve operational coordination and airspace awareness between the Philippine and US militaries. Three Philippine FA-50 fighter jets and two US B1-B bombers participated in the exercise. Meanwhile, China's air force conducted a routine patrol over the Scarborough Shoal, which is in dispute with Beijing.
Chinese authorities condemned the Philippines' actions, calling them part of efforts by foreign countries to undermine peace and stability in the South China Sea. At the same time, China stressed that it would maintain a "high level of readiness" to protect its territorial sovereignty in the region.
The South China Sea is a strategically important trade route through which $3 trillion worth of goods pass annually, and China claims almost the entire waterway, despite competing claims from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. In response to the presence of Chinese ships in Manila's maritime zones, the Philippine navy said it was closely monitoring the situation.
In 2016 An international arbitration court ruled that China's claims in the South China Sea had no basis in international law, but Beijing refused to recognize the ruling.