China's military issued an unusually strong warning aimed at the Philippines in the South China Sea, saying to "immediately stop all provocations."
According to Reuters on the 14th, the Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army said in a Spokesperson statement that it conducted a "routine patrol" in the South China Sea that day. The Southern Theater Command is the key unit responsible for the South China Sea. The statement did more than announce the patrol; it added a warning aimed directly at the Philippines.
A Southern Theater Command Spokesperson urged, "The Philippines must immediately stop provocative acts that create incidents and heighten tensions in the South China Sea." The Spokesperson added that China's military will continue to safeguard national sovereignty in the area. The remark suggests that if the Philippines crosses the line set by China, it could trigger a military response.
China claims that most of the South China Sea is its territorial waters. Under the name "nine-dash line," it drew a U-shaped line and asserted sovereignty over about 90% of the waters inside it. But this area overlaps with the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of several Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.
This waterway is a key shipping route through which more than $3 trillion (about 4,100 trillion won) in annual maritime cargo passes. Because it accounts for a massive share of global trade, any military escalation here immediately threatens the world economy. In recent years, China has steadily intensified military actions to bolster its sovereignty claims, including building military bases on artificial islands. In the process, frequent collisions between Philippine coast guard or fishing boats and Chinese coast guard vessels have deepened tensions between the two countries.
Experts said the official statement by China's military carries more weight than past protests by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or condemnations through state media, because the military stepped forward directly. By singling out the Philippines and using the word "provocation" while demanding "an immediate halt," China appears to be laying the groundwork to take tougher military measures if similar situations occur in the future.