China conducts combat drills near Scarborough Shoal

China conducted a joint air and sea combat patrol near the disputed Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday to test its strike capabilities.

The Chinese military's Southern Theater Command stated the maneuvers tested reconnaissance and early warning, rapid mobility, and joint strike capabilities.

This action occurred as the United States and its allies held joint military drills in the same waters.

Tensions in the disputed waterway have spiked following escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels.

Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, brushing off rival claims and an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

Scarborough Shoal, located within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, is a crucial fishing ground and safe haven for Filipino fishermen.

China seized control of the shoal in 2012 and has since used its coast guard to assert its territorial claims.