Chinese foreign ministry says Beijing consistently committed to dialogue and consultation with Manila over the shoal.

Activists slam President Marcos Jnr for allowing the US to use Philippine military facilities, and call for a ‘demilitarised zone’ for local fishermen to fish peacefully.

Underdeveloped Thitu Island, also known as Pag-asa (hope) in the Philippines, lies just 27km northeast of a fully functioning military base built by China that’s estimated to be 12 times its size.

Wu Shicun, founding president of China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies, is pessimistic about progress of South China Sea Code of Conduct.

‘If China is not afraid to state its claims to the world, then why don’t we arbitrate under international law?’ said the Philippines’ defence minister on Monday following a weekend stand-off at Second Thomas Shoal.

Shipment of fuel from US to the Philippines raises suspicions the US is building up military supplies in the Southeast Asian nation.

Baerbock said during a visit to the Philippines that Beijing was violating Manila’s ‘rights and economic development opportunities’ in the disputed waters.

China could assert traditional fishing rights, demand transit passages and contest baselines under Unclos if territorial disputes with Philippines escalate, according to leading scholar.

Senate resolution to ratify UN Convention on the Law of the Sea appears doubtful amid American culture wars despite enjoying some bipartisan support.

PLA Southern Theatre Command says it is sending navy and air force for routine patrols to monitor activities that ‘disrupt’ the region.

China is expected to keep tensions simmering within the ‘grey zone’ to stake its claims to the disputed waterway, but analysts say this entails the risk of miscalculations.

While meeting Philippine foreign undersecretary Theresa Lazaro on Monday, Huang Xilian says China has ‘indisputable sovereignty’ over islands in disputed waterway.

The actions of China’s coastguard over the weekend ‘have only further steeled our determination to defend and protect our nation’s sovereignty’ the Philippine president said, as Manila on Monday summoned the Chinese ambassador.

Body representing most of world’s largest economies tells Beijing that playing by international rules ‘would be of global interest’.

China’s Southern Theatre Command says American combat ship entered waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, violating ‘China’s sovereignty and security’.

A view of Beijing as coercive and aggressive has the potential to diminish its influence and push countries towards the West if it does not soften, analysts say.

Manila accuses China’s coastguard of firing a water cannon ‘in an illegal though unsuccessful attempt’ to force Philippine ships to alter course.

China’s focus on versatility, such as autonomous vehicles and AI-equipped weapons, is in contrast to weapons designed for asymmetrical warfare. The US also sees technology as a way to shape the parameters of a potential conflict.

Chinese coastguard spokesman insists it ‘took the initiative to retrieve the blocking facilities and resume normal control on September 23’.

At Scarborough Shoal, some 900km away from the nearest major Chinese land mass, China’s coastguard ships regularly chase Filipinos away from a fishing ground that’s fewer than 240km west of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon.

Manila earlier said action would be taken ‘to protect the rights of our fishermen in the area’, while Beijing defended the cordon, saying ‘necessary measures’ were taken after boat ‘intruded’.

Fishing boats joined a coastguard vessel in a recent confrontation with the Philippines near Second Thomas Shoal, the latest example of grey zone tactics.