Indo-Pacific — 2026-09-28

China Conducts Joint Naval and Air Exercise Near Scarborough Shoal in South China Sea

BLUFPairing PLA theater-command maneuvers with coast guard boarding and towing drills near Scarborough Shoal institutionalizes coercive playbooks that compress escalation timelines in future Philippine encounters.

China's People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command conducted a joint naval and air training exercise in the waters and airspace around Scarborough Shoal on Sunday, according to a WeChat statement 123. Separately, China Coast Guard spokesperson Jiang Lue said coast guard units carried out drills the same day covering boarding and inspection, intrusion interdiction, and forced towing 1. The Southern Theater Command described the exercise as a response to actions by "certain countries" it said had undermined regional peace and stability, and stated the training aimed to test combat capabilities in defense of China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights 123. The Philippine Embassy in Beijing had not responded to requests for comment as of Sunday 123.

Analysis
Pairing theater-command air-naval maneuvers with coast guard drills rehearsing boarding, interdiction, and forced towing signals Beijing is institutionalizing coercive tactics it has already used against Philippine vessels near the shoal, not simply projecting a one-off show of force. Framing the exercise as a response to unnamed "certain countries" preserves ambiguity that lets Beijing pressure Manila while keeping open parallel signaling toward Washington and other claimants. The coast guard component matters most operationally: rehearsed interdiction and towing procedures raise the odds that the next close encounter with a Philippine resupply or fishing vessel escalates faster than prior standoffs.

4 sources

China conducts naval, air exercise around disputed shoal in South China Sea - BusinessWorld
China conducts naval, air exercise around Scarborough Shoal - GMA News Online
China conducts military exercises around disputed shoal in South China Sea - Free Malaysia Today
China Conducts Air-Sea Exercise Near Scarborough Shoal on Sunday - Bloomberg