Rising Tensions: The Philippines and China's South China Sea Struggle

By Maggie Johnson

December 9, 2024

Image Credit: “Making Sense Of The South China Sea Dispute,” available at Yahoo Images (12/09/2024).

Relations between the Philippines and China have deteriorated significantly under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. This shift is largely due to Manila's pivot toward closer ties with the United States, aligning the Southeast Asian nation with a major global power that supports it in its maritime disputes with Beijing. Throughout the year, tensions in the contested South China Sea have escalated, marked by confrontations and diplomatic clashes that underscore the growing rift.

In early January, the Philippines and the United States conducted their second joint patrol in the South China Sea. China carried out similar operations using its naval and air forces. By March, tensions flared when the Philippines accused China’s coast guard of reckless and illegal actions during a collision involving a Philippine vessel near Second Thomas Shoal. Beijing countered by claiming the vessels had intruded illegally into its waters. Later in the month, China’s coast guard reportedly used water cannons against Philippine vessels on a resupply mission, prompting a strong condemnation from Manila.

April saw an uptick in military activity in the region. Defense forces from the United States, Japan, and Australia conducted maritime operations within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. Additionally, the U.S. deployed its Typhon missile system for the first time in the Indo-Pacific during joint drills with Manila. The Philippines also dispatched a coast guard ship to Sabina Shoal to monitor suspected Chinese reclamation activities, which Beijing denied. The month ended with Manila accusing China of harassment and damaging its vessels in Scarborough Shoal, rejecting Beijing’s claims of expelling the Philippine ships from the contested area.

In May, a civilian flotilla of Philippine vessels asserted Manila’s maritime rights by delivering supplies to fishermen at Scarborough Shoal. By mid-June, the Philippines filed a claim with the United Nations to extend its continental shelf in the South China Sea, signaling its unwavering resolve. Later that month, a Philippine sailor was injured during a resupply mission after what Manila described as a deliberate ramming by a Chinese coast guard vessel. Beijing denied the allegation, further highlighting the intensifying friction.

July brought a brief respite as Philippine and Chinese officials demonstrated a commitment to peaceful resolution. Both sides agreed to restore trust and establish new lines of communication to manage disputes. That same month, the Philippines and Japan signed a landmark military pact allowing troop deployments on each other’s soil. Manila also reached a provisional arrangement with Beijing to conduct resupply missions to a grounded Philippine ship at Second Thomas Shoal, reflecting efforts to pursue diplomatic channels.

Despite these efforts, confrontations resumed in August, with mutual accusations of aggressive maneuvers, vessel rammings, and the use of flares near Sabina Shoal and Scarborough Shoal. The Philippines continued to strengthen its alliances by holding joint military exercises with Japan and Vietnam while maintaining operations with the United States and other partners. By September, Manila accused a Chinese navy helicopter of shadowing a Philippine aircraft near Scarborough Shoal, exacerbating tensions.

October saw renewed clashes, including claims that China’s coast guard fired water cannons at Philippine ships resupplying fishermen in Scarborough Shoal. In November, Manila enacted maritime laws defining its entitlements and sea routes, drawing sharp criticism from Beijing. The year concluded with both nations accusing each other of aggressive behavior during another standoff in Scarborough Shoal. Simultaneously, the Philippines conducted maritime drills with Japan and the United States in its exclusive economic zone.

The year’s developments highlight the deepening divide between Manila and Beijing, with maritime disputes in the South China Sea at the heart of their conflict. As the Philippines strengthens its alliances, particularly with the United States, the stakes in the Indo-Pacific continue to rise, reflecting a broader regional struggle for influence and control.