appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Orange Wang

Beijing had a “rich and powerful” toolkit to use against those who “make waves” in the South China Sea, China’s military mouthpiece warned on Sunday, following efforts by Manila to map out its claim to a disputed shoal.
The PLA Daily warning came a day after the Chinese military mounted joint naval and air drills near Scarborough Shoal, a contested group of low-lying rocky islets known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines.
“We also issue a stern warning to forces seeking to stir up trouble and make waves in the South China Sea: when it comes to safeguarding peace and stability there, the options in China’s toolbox are rich and powerful,” said the article published under the pen name Jun Sheng, or “Voice of the Military”.
“Any malicious attempt to the detriment of China’s sovereignty, security and development interests will be met with a resolute response and a head-on blow.”


The article did not say what other options were in Beijing’s toolbox, but the drills were just part of a range of countermeasures Beijing took at the weekend.
Other actions included China Coast Guard exercises in the area and the release of a set of regulations for a nature reserve Beijing announced for the shoal last year.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) drill came days after Manila filed its official nautical chart for Scarborough Shoal with the United Nations.
In the chart, the Philippines defines its claims to the shoal’s “territorial sea baseline”, along with the outer limits of its 12-nautical-mile (22km) territorial sea and 24-nautical-mile contiguous zone.
The PLA Daily article said the July 29 submission was a “nonsense” provocation and it was “legitimate” for China to fortify its control over the feature.
It also accused Manila of various “disturbances”, including “frequently sending vessels to intrude” into the shoal and “instigating fishing boats to illegally operate” in the shoal’s lagoon.
It urged the Philippines to change course “as soon as possible” and to honour the commitments it had made to China on “concrete” efforts to stabilise relations.


On Friday, the Chinese foreign ministry also denounced the Philippine delimitation move as “illegal, null and void”, adding that “China firmly rejects and will never accept it”.
Territorial tensions between the two South China Sea neighbours have escalated again in recent weeks, with Scarborough Shoal re-emerging as one of the flashpoints.
China has strengthened its control over the feature in recent years through increased law enforcement patrols and scientific expeditions. Beijing also released its own baselines for the territorial sea around it in 2024.
The Jun Sheng piece said China’s military drills on Saturday were a “necessary” action in response to “certain countries in the region undermining regional peace and stability”.
It also said Beijing’s measures to assert its sovereignty claim over Scarborough had drawn a “red line” in the South China Sea.
The article accused individual Philippine politicians of “repeatedly provoking trouble” for their own “dirty personal interests” and “frequently colluding with external forces in private, willingly becoming pawns in great-power rivalry”.
Beijing sanctioned Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr in June, citing “repeated irresponsible remarks on China” that undermined legitimate Chinese interests and “sabotaged” relations.


Why Southeast Asia feels relief and caution after the Xi-Trump summit

Paraguay’s president urges UN to let Taiwan in, calls island’s exclusion ‘a stain’

Why younger Filipinos are warming to China despite maritime tensions

Why Brunei prefers ‘quiet diplomacy’ over confrontation in South China Sea

South China Sea

Beijing warns Manila of ‘powerful’ South China Sea toolbox ready for ‘head-on blow’

The PLA carries out joint naval and air drills around Scarborough Shoal on August 1, days after the Philippines filed its official ​nautical chart for the disputed South China Sea feature with the United Nations. Photo: Handout

PLA and coastguards stage South China Sea drills days after Philippine territorial bid

Scarborough Shoal is one of the main flashpoints between China and the Philippines. Photo: Xinhua

Beijing slams Manila over South China Sea claims ahead of 2016 Hague anniversary

Ships identified by the Philippine Coast Guard as Chinese research vessels are seen at Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea on June 15. Photo: AFP

South China Sea: Beijing and Manila trade blame on second day of Scarborough Shoal clashes

The Philippines has accused China of “a series of water cannon attacks and dangerous manoeuvres” while the Chinese coastguard says its actions were "lawful". Photo: X/@jaytaryela

China accuses Philippines of ‘flagrantly infringing’ on sovereignty in seabed claim

A China Coast Guard vessel sails near Thitu Island on February 21, 2026. Manila’s proposed extended continental shelf would stretch across the seabed near the Philippine-held feature, also known as Pagasa Island. Photo: AFP

News

China

Military

Diplomacy

Strongly worded PLA Daily article is latest in a series of countermeasures as Scarborough Shoal row flares, including military drills


Strongly worded PLA Daily article is latest in a series of countermeasures as Scarborough Shoal row flares, including military drills.


Beijing warns Manila of ‘powerful’ South China Sea toolbox ready for ‘head-on blow’

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Strongly worded PLA Daily article is latest in a series of countermeasures as Scarborough Shoal row flares, including military drills

Strongly worded PLA Daily article is latest in a series of countermeasures as Scarborough Shoal row flares, including military drills