China warns Philippines "Do not provoke" amid US Defense Secretary visit... South China Sea patrol

Chinese Military Conducts Patrol in South China Sea
Warns Against Actions Escalating Tensions
Patrol Follows Joint Exercises by United States, Japan, and Philippines

The Chinese military conducted patrol activities in the South China Sea, where it is engaged in a territorial dispute with the Philippines, in response to joint exercises by the United States, Japan, and the Philippines.

The military forces of the United States, Japan, and the Philippines are conducting joint exercises in the South China Sea. Photo by AP Yonhap News

On the 29th, according to major media including the Chinese state-run Xinhua News Agency, Tian Junli, spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, stated that "the Chinese military conducted a regular patrol in the South China Sea area on the 28th."

Spokesperson Tian warned, "We caution against provocations that escalate tensions in the South China Sea," adding, "Seeking external support will be a meaningless act."

The Chinese military's patrol came after U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's visit to the Philippines and the joint military exercises involving the United States, Japan, and the Philippines. Secretary Hegseth met with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in Manila the previous day and said, "Considering the threat from communist China, deterrence is especially necessary in the Indo-Pacific region."

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