China has significantly increased its naval and Coast Guard operations in the South China Sea in response to the first-ever joint patrols conducted by India and the Philippines in this contested maritime region.

Over the past week, the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) carried out what it described as "routine patrols" to counter what Beijing termed "provocative actions" by the Philippines and "non-regional countries," a likely reference to India.

The joint patrol involved a coordinated maritime exercise where three Indian Navy warships — INS Delhi (guided-missile destroyer), INS Kiltan (Anti-Submarine Corvette), and INS Shakti (fleet tanker) — operated alongside two Philippine Navy frigates, BRP Jose Rizal and BRP Miguel Malvar.

These combat drills included surface warfare, anti-air, and anti-submarine operations, and took place inside the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), overlapping with China's controversial "10-dash line" territorial claims.

Two Chinese warships shadowed this exercise, while the Chinese Coast Guard simultaneously maintained law enforcement patrols at Scarborough Shoal, a sensitive flashpoint in the region known for territorial disputes.

This escalation coincides with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos's visit to New Delhi, where India and the Philippines formalised their relationship as a strategic partnership with commitments to deepen defence and maritime cooperation. India has further signalled its strategic shift into the South China Sea via arms exports to the Philippines, notably the delivery of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, with missile bases reportedly near Scarborough Shoal, targeting key Chinese installations.

Beijing's Southern Theatre Command condemned the joint patrols for undermining regional peace and stability, accusing Manila and external powers of interference in what China regards as its sovereign waters.

The increased tempo of Chinese naval and coast guard presence reveals Beijing's heightened concern over a broadening multilateral coalition that backs the Philippines, which includes not only India but also the US, Australia, Japan, and European allies asserting navigational rights contrary to China's expansive claims.

This development marks a new and tense phase of great power competition in the South China Sea, transitioning from localised disputes to a broader geopolitical contest involving regional and extra-regional powers. India's involvement, historically outside this maritime theatre, signals a deliberate strategic realignment aligned with the US-led Indo-Pacific framework aimed at counterbalancing China's maritime dominance.

Thus, China's ramp-up of naval and coast guard operations is a direct strategic response intended to counterbalance India's entry and the growing multilateral efforts to uphold freedom of navigation, international law, and regional security in the South China Sea. The situation illustrates the increasing complexity and risk of confrontation in one of the world's most strategically vital and contested maritime domains.

Based On ANI Report