The Southern Theater Command of the Chinese military announced that its naval and air forces patrolled the South China Sea on January 17 and 18, according to the South China Morning Post .
Chinese warships during an exercise
Photo: Screenshot chinamil.com.cn
“The patrols are aimed at maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea region,” the Southern Theater Command said in a statement, without providing further details. This is the first patrol by the Chinese military in the South China Sea in 2025, according to the South China Morning Post .
Meanwhile, the Philippine military announced today that it held a “maritime cooperation activity” with the United States on January 17 and 18. This is the first joint exercise between the United States and the Philippines in 2025 and the fifth in the South China Sea since the two sides launched this joint exercise in 2023, according to Reuters.
Participating in the new joint exercise are the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group, two guided missile destroyers, two helicopters and two F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets.
The Philippines deployed the frigate Antonio Luna, the patrol ship Andres Bonifacio, two FA-50 fighter jets and some other equipment.
The joint exercise is aimed at “strengthening bilateral maritime cooperation and interoperability,” according to the Philippine armed forces.
The new joint military exercises between the US and the Philippines come after Philippine officials said on January 14 that a “monster” Chinese coast guard ship had been patrolling around the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea for several days.
Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun affirmed that the coast guard patrols were legal and legitimate, according to AP.
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