China, Beijing: The Southern Theatre Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has conducted combat readiness patrols in the South China Sea, aiming to enhance its combat capabilities and uphold peace and stability in the region, as reported by state media.

From yesterday to today, the Chinese military executed these patrols, which follow a series of uncommon military drills and exercises held over the weekend.

China asserts territorial claims over nearly the entire South China Sea, despite competing claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague determined that China's claims lacked legal support, a ruling that Beijing has rejected.

On Saturday, Chinese air and naval forces carried out maneuvers near the contested Scarborough Shoal, which lies approximately 200 kilometers west of the main Philippine island of Luzon and within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This area has been claimed by both China and the Philippines for many years. This activity came after Australia and the Philippines announced joint maritime exercises with Japan, New Zealand, and the United States in the Philippines’ EEZ.

During recent discussions in New York with China's top diplomat Wang Yi, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted China's “dangerous and destabilizing actions” in the South China Sea. Blinken had previously criticized Beijing for aggressive movements involving its coast guard and fishing vessels, which are suspected of functioning as a maritime militia.