The Armed Forces of the Philippines, United States Indo-Pacific Command, Australian Defence Force, and the and Japan Self-Defense Forces successfully conducts the first Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity in the West Philippine Sea on April 7, 2024. 

BEIJING, China — China conducted military “combat patrols” Sunday in the disputed South China Sea, its army said, the same day as joint drills by the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia.

The announcement comes one day after defense chiefs from four countries, including the Philippines — which has been engaged in several contentious maritime disputes with Beijing recently — said they would conduct joint drills Sunday in the area.

The Philippines, the United States, Australia, and Japan successfully engaged in the first multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MMCA) in the West Philippine Sea on Sunday, April 7, “with no untoward incident that happened.”

In a statement, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said all planned exercises were conducted within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Those who joined included the AFP, United States Indo-Pacific Command, Australian Defence Force (ADF) and Japan Self-Defense Forces.

The AFP said, “The MMCA demonstrated the participating countries’ commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific through interoperability exercises in the maritime domain.”

“It will also contribute greatly to the AFP’s capability development,” it added.

The AFP said, “The MMCA demonstrated the participating countries’ commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific through interoperability exercises in the maritime domain.”

“It will also contribute greatly to the AFP’s capability development,” it added.

The activities included communication, photo exercises, division tactics, or Office of the Watch maneuver.

“These activities were designed to enhance the different forces’ abilities to work together effectively in maritime scenarios,” AFP said.

The following naval vessels and aircraft from the Philippines, US, Japan, and Australia participated:

  • BRP Gregorio Del Pilar with AW109 helicopter, BRP Antonio Luna with AW159 Wildcat ASW helicopter, and BRP Valentin Diaz from the Philippine Navy
  • US Navy’s USS Mobile and P-8A Poseidon
  • The Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Warramunga
  • The Royal Australian Air Force’s P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft
  • Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces’ JS Akebono

The MMCA came amid increasing tension in the West Philippine Sea. On Thursday, April 4, two Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ships harassed Filipino fisherfolk within the vicinity of Recto Bank. Just a few weeks earlier on March 23, CCG attacked military-contracted vessel Unaizah May 4, with water cannons  for an hour. 

Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command said it was organsing “joint naval and air combat patrols in the South China Sea”.

“All military activities that mess up the situation in the South China Sea and create hotspots are under control,”  it said in a statement, in an apparent swipe at the other drills being held in the waters.

Further details about the Chinese military activities in the waterway Sunday were not announced.

The exercises take place days before US President Joe Biden is due to hold the first trilateral summit with the leaders of the Philippines and Japan.

Top US officials have repeatedly declared the United States’ “ironclad” commitment to defending the Philippines against an armed attack in the South China Sea — to the consternation of Beijing.

China claims territorial sovereignty over nearly all of the South China Sea and has been increasingly assertive in the region in recent years.

China’s Coast Guard said Saturday it had “handled” a situation on Thursday at a disputed reef where several ships from the Philippines were engaged in “illegal” operations.

“Under the guise of ‘protecting fishing’, Philippine government ships have illegally violated and provoked, organised media to deliberately incite and mislead, continuing to undermine stability in the South China Sea,” spokesman Gan Yu said.

“We are telling the Philippines that any infringement tactics are in vain,” Gan said, adding that China would “regularly enforce the law in waters under (its) jurisdiction”.

Beijing has brushed aside competing territorial claims by several Southeast Asian countries in the South China Sea — a crucial route for global trade — as well as an international ruling that declared its stance baseless.