The patrol was described as a “law enforcement” operation aimed at safeguarding China’s sovereign rights. Beijing has criticized the planned negotiations, arguing they involve waters east of Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry rejected China’s position, saying Beijing has no authority over Taiwan’s territorial sovereignty or maritime rights. The dispute adds to growing regional tensions, with Chinese military and coast guard vessels operating frequently around Taiwan and in the South China Sea.

China claims Taiwan and most of the South China Sea under its “nine-dash line” map, a position rejected by Taiwan and several neighboring countries.

The operations were announced by China’s military and maritime authorities as regional defense leaders gathered in Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s leading security forum, where concerns over maritime disputes and regional stability featured prominently.

The People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theatre Command said naval and air units carried out combat-readiness patrols in what it described as the territorial waters and airspace surrounding Scarborough Shoal, one of the most contested features in the South China Sea.

In a statement published on the social media platform WeChat, the command said the patrols were intended to counter what it called rights violations and provocative activities in the area.

China’s coast guard separately confirmed that it had undertaken law-enforcement patrols near the shoal and said it had handled vessels engaged in what it described as illegal activities during the month. The agency did not provide additional details regarding the incidents.

The Philippine Embassy in Beijing did not immediately comment on the patrols.

The Chinese operations followed remarks by Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, who told Reuters on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue that the Philippines remained under a “severe threat” from China both territorially and politically.

Teodoro said Manila had little choice but to remain resilient and continue resisting what he described as Chinese aggression, despite a recent easing of tensions between Washington and Beijing following talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier this month.

Scarborough Shoal has become a recurring flashpoint in the increasingly tense maritime dispute between China and the Philippines. The area is rich in fishing resources and occupies a strategically important position in the South China Sea.

Confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels have intensified in recent years, with several incidents involving collisions, water-cannon encounters and injuries to personnel.

China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea through its so-called “nine-dash line,” a sweeping claim that overlaps with the exclusive economic zones claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

The dispute has remained one of Asia’s most sensitive geopolitical issues despite repeated diplomatic efforts to ease tensions.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea had no legal basis under international law. Beijing rejected the ruling and has continued to assert its claims across the strategic waterway.

The latest patrols underscore the persistence of territorial disputes in the region even as major powers seek to stabilize broader diplomatic relations.

The visit by Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling to Taiping Island marks the first ministerial trip to the outpost in seven years, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported. The island is part of the disputed Spratly Islands, claimed by Taiwan, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Taiwan’s coast guard said the exercises included humanitarian rescue drills, medical evacuation simulations, and pollution response operations. In one scenario, armed special forces practiced boarding a cargo vessel that had refused to respond to communications.

Authorities said the vessel was escorted to Taiping Island for inspection after it was deemed to have entered waters under Taiwan’s jurisdiction.Video released by the coast guard showed armed personnel entering a ship’s control room while instructing crew members to comply with inspection procedures.

The drills underscore Taiwan’s efforts to assert its presence in the contested maritime region, where overlapping territorial claims have heightened tensions for years.China claims most of the South China Sea and has built extensive artificial islands and military installations in the region, raising concerns among regional states and the United States.

Beijing maintains that its construction and deployments are within its sovereign rights.Taiwan also maintains control over other features in the region, including the Pratas Islands in the northern South China Sea, while Chinese military aircraft and naval vessels regularly operate near Taiwan in what Taipei describes as pressure tactics.

Taiping Island has infrastructure capable of supporting military resupply flights and a port upgraded in 2023 to accommodate larger patrol vessels, though it remains lightly defended compared to nearby Chinese-held installations.

The South China Sea remains one of the world’s most strategically important waterways, carrying trillions of dollars in annual trade and containing key fishing grounds and potential energy resources, making it a persistent flashpoint for regional and global powers.