China held joint naval and air drills near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. South China Morning Post reported an accompanying PLA Daily commentary under the pen name Jun Sheng that referenced a broad set of countermeasures. AP News independently confirmed the occurrence of the drills.
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“Beijing warns Manila of ‘powerful’ South China Sea toolbox ready for ‘head-on blow’”
Read at South China Morning Post →Beijing’s drills and commentary represent coercive pressure by a larger state against the Philippines and a rejection of UNCLOS arbitration.
“Militarization of disputes and risks to smaller states and global trade routes”
The actions illustrate Beijing’s pattern of calibrated force that necessitates stronger U.S. alliances and deterrence for Manila.
“Hard-power realities and the limits of multilateral forums”
Both governments use sovereignty claims to justify coercion, harming private navigation and commercial users of the waters.
“Non-aggression principle and preference for decentralized or contractual resolutions”
All three perspectives accept unverified SCMP claims as fact, ignore China’s long-term control of the shoal, and overlook enforcement weaknesses in UNCLOS and economic leverage dynamics.
“Over-reliance on selective framing and omission of pre-scheduling questions and domestic incentives”
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