China conducts patrols around Scarborough Shoal in disputed South China Sea

China's military and coast guard said on Tuesday they had carried out patrols in the waters around Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, as part of safeguarding Beijing's territorial claims to the area.



The Southern Theatre Command of the People's Liberation Army said its naval and air forces conducted combat-readiness patrols in the territorial waters and airspace around the shoal.



Scarborough Shoal is claimed by both China and the Philippines and is one of Asia's most disputed maritime sites. In a separate statement, the China Coast Guard (CCG) later said it conducted law-enforcement patrols on Tuesday in the waters and surrounding areas of the shoal too, saying it has enhanced patrols this month and regulated ships engaged in "illegal rights-violation activities", without elaborating.



Tuesday's patrols came after joint U.S.-Philippine drills in waters near Scarborough Shoal over the weekend that Washington said underscored a shared commitment to strengthening regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.



In response, China's military on Monday said it had carried out a routine patrol in the South China Sea over the weekend and accused the Philippines of bringing in countries outside the region for patrols, which it said undermine regional peace and stability.