China’s People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command and the China Coast Guard conducted patrols around Huangyan Island in the South China Sea on Tuesday, emphasizing the country’s commitment to upholding its sovereignty and legal rights in the disputed waters. The move follows an increase in patrols since June, which Beijing describes as a necessary response to repeated violations and provocations by the Philippines and other external actors.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian confirmed last month that Chinese researchers carried out a comprehensive ecological survey of Huangyan Island to deepen understanding of the area’s environment. Beijing has repeatedly accused the Philippines of attempting to undermine China’s legitimate activities through what it characterizes as misleading narratives.
The Chinese Ministry of Natural Resources released an assessment report on Tuesday concerning the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The report criticizes the Philippines and its allies for allegedly abusing UNCLOS to advance an illegal arbitration case in the South China Sea. China maintains that the 2016 arbitration, initiated by the Philippines, was a political maneuver disguised as a legal proceeding and asserts that its refusal to recognize or participate was meant to uphold the integrity of UNCLOS.
According to the report, the Philippines has manipulated international law by framing a territorial sovereignty dispute—an issue outside UNCLOS’s jurisdiction—as a maritime rights dispute. The report contends that the arbitration tribunal overstepped its mandate by implicitly ruling on sovereignty, representing a procedural tactic that undermines the credibility of UNCLOS and risks turning the oceans into zones of confrontation.
China highlights its nearly three-decade record as a consistent adherent to UNCLOS, including full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and ongoing efforts to negotiate a Code of Conduct (COC) for the region. Beijing contrasts its approach with that of the Philippines and the United States, accusing the latter of distorting the concept of freedom of navigation to justify military provocations, while China promotes a Global Security Initiative grounded in shared security principles.
The report challenges countries accused of selectively applying UNCLOS provisions to support their security agendas, noting misuse of terms like “international waters” to confuse the legal status of Exclusive Economic Zones and encouraging the Philippines to act as a proxy in regional disputes.
China urges all parties involved to cease these actions and return to negotiations to finalize the COC, emphasizing that the South China Sea should serve as a shared space for peace, friendship, and cooperation among neighboring states.