China increases military presence around Scarborough Shoal - what now?

China increases military presence around Scarborough Shoal - what now?

China's Marine carried out numerous “fighting exercises” near the controversial Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. These exercises took place in the territorial waters and airspace around the Huangyan island, as reported by the State news agency Xinhua. The measures serve to strengthen control over the sea and air spaces and to defend national sovereignty and security, according to the Chinese authorities.

The Scarborough Shoal, a reef that is about 220 kilometers west of Luzon, is used by the Philippines. China took over the area in 2012 after a longer conflict with Manila, which was traditionally used as a fishing area. In 2016, an international tribunal decided that China's claims in the South China Sea are legally non -durable. Despite this decision, Manila China accused China of having carried out dangerous maneuvers in April 2023 after a Chinese ship damaged a Filipino coastal wax ship with a water cannon.

geopolitical tensions

In the past few months, the tensions between China and the Philippines have tightened, especially around the Scarborough Shoal and the also controversial second Thomas and Sabina Shoals. Report by South China Morning Post According to the China (PLA) Volksfreundungs ​​Army Army and the China Coast Guard, several coastal patrols in this region on May 30, 2025. These patrols aim to strengthen control over the relevant waters and to maintain China's national sovereignty.

The South Korean authorities also reported three new Chinese boars that were discovered in the yellow sea and thus increased the total number to 13. These buoys are in controversial waters and are part of China's efforts to enforce its maritime demands. China relies on an agreement from 1962 with North Korea to define its maritime border, which penetrates the South Korea as part of its economic zone.

reactions and effects

The provisional maritime zone (PMZ) in the yellow sea allows the joint management of marine resources and prohibits activities that go beyond navigation and fishing. Nevertheless, China has built numerous installations in these waters since 2018, including 10 observation buoys and a fixed steel structure in 2022. Recently China also explained three new restricted zones within the PMZ, which triggered China's increase in the region in Seoul, so Al Jazera

The geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea illustrate the complexity of the territorial demands and the military activities that are increasingly focusing on. Various nations, including the United States, have also reacted to developments, since the stability in this strategically important region is at stake. Further analyzes of the geopolitical situation in the southern Chinese Sea can be found on the website of the Konrad-adenauer-Foundation