China conducts naval, air patrols around Scarborough Shoal

BEIJING - China's military conducted joint air and naval combat drills around the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, the People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command said in a statement on Saturday.

Here are some key details:

The drills were held in the airspace and waters around the shoal, which China calls Huangyan Dao.

The Chinese military described the exercise as a necessary response to actions by "certain countries" it said were undermining regional peace and stability. It did not name any countries, but the Scarborough Shoal is also claimed by the Philippines, where it is known as Bajo de Masinloc.

The Philippine Embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the Chinese military exercises.

The exercise was aimed at testing and improving the combat readiness of China's forces to defend national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, the Chinese military said.

China issued a new policy on Saturday for the administration of the Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve — established in September 2025 — and said unauthorized fishing, mining, coral or giant clam extraction, and other harmful activities would be banned, according to the Xinhua news agency.

Violators of the ban will be held legally accountable, Xinhua said. —Reuters