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By Micah McCartney
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The Philippines, a U.S. treaty ally, has reported an "unusual" show of force by Chinese units around Second Thomas Shoal, a hotly disputed submerged reef in the South China Sea's Spratly Islands.
Why It Matters
The Spratlys are contested by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei. Beijing claims most of the South China Sea, including features such as Second Thomas Shoal that lie within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.
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Manila stations a small detachment aboard a rusting warship, the BRP Sierra Madre, which it grounded on Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to reinforce its claim to the reef—a move China maintains was illegal.
Since 2023, Philippine resupply missions to Second Thomas Shoal have faced forceful Chinese actions, including collisions and water-cannon blasts. Those confrontations appeared to subside after a June 2024 clash that injured several Philippine sailors.
Newsweek has reached out to the Philippine coast guard and Chinese foreign ministry via emailed requests for comment.
What To Know
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In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the Philippine military reported a sharp increase in Chinese maritime forces near Second Thomas Shoal—known in Manila as Ayungin Shoal and in Beijing as Ren'ai Reef.
It counted five China coast guard cutters, nine ships from China's maritime militia and smaller craft such as fast boats and rigid-hulled inflatable boats.
Some of the smaller boats were seen inside the shoal, and several fast craft appeared to be outfitted with new heavy weapons, the statement said.
Outside the shoal, larger coast guard ships conducted maneuvers and water-cannon drills.
The post included footage and photos of raft occupants appearing to place netting into the water. A helicopter and unmanned aerial vehicle can be seen operating nearby.
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, a Philippine military spokesperson, told reporters that 25 Chinese vessels remained in the area as of Thursday morning.
"It is unusual, although we are used to them," the Philippine Daily Inquirerquoted him as saying. "It's unusual for them to show weapons, to drop nets that can impede watercraft, and to demonstrate their water cannons."
On Friday, Chinese coast guard spokesperson Gan Yu accused the Sierra Madre of launching a pair of small boats to provoke the Chinese vessels by approaching them in "an unprofessional and dangerous manner."
"We are urging the Philippines to immediately stop all infringement, provocation and hype," Gan said in a statement.
The stepped-up Chinese presence at Second Thomas Shoal follows an August 11 confrontation at another contested feature—Scarborough Shoal—that saw a Chinese navy destroyer and a China coast guard ship collide while attempting to drive away a smaller Philippine coast guard cutter.
The Chinese coast guard vessel's forecastle was severely damaged, and apparent search-and-rescue operations the following day suggested crew members may have fallen overboard.
Some analysts have said the current surge in Chinese activity signals a bid by an embarrassed Beijing to project strength after the collision.
What People Have Said
Ben Lewis, co-founder of PLATracker, an organization that tracks Chinese military activity, told USNI News: "The biggest question that remains is whether the behavior of People's Republic of China forces in future direct encounters with Philippine vessels will escalate, which Beijing has threatened to do."
Collin Koh, a senior fellow at the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "As expected, because of the unprecedented loss of face, Beijing needs to assert itself more aggressively lest the August 11 collision sends the wrong signal to domestic audience and external parties, especially South China Sea rivals."
What's Next
It's unclear whether China will sustain its high-level presence around Second Thomas Shoal or challenge the next Philippine run to the Sierra Madre, risking a return to high-stakes confrontations—and potential U.S. involvement.
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