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PLA Southern Theater Command, CCG step up law enforcement around China's Huangyan Dao

Global Times

By Chen Qingqing Published: Nov 01, 2025 12:25 AM

From Thursday to Friday, the Philippines, in collusion with extraterritorial countries, conducted a so-called "joint patrol" in the South China Sea, stirring up trouble and undermining regional peace and stability. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command monitored and maintained vigilance throughout the operation, the Global Times learned exclusively from a source from the Chinese military.

The China Coast Guard (CCG) and the PLA's Southern Theater Command have stepped up security operations around China's Huangyan Dao, with Friday patrols reinforcing law enforcement and combat readiness in the island's territorial waters and surrounding areas, according to official statements.

A Chinese expert said recent law enforcement operations, including tracking and monitoring, radio warnings, and the interception and expulsion of intruding vessels, directly respond to a series of maritime provocations by the Philippines.

The CCG conducted a law enforcement patrol in the territorial waters and surrounding areas of China's Huangyan Dao on Friday, the CCG said. Since October, the CCG has continuously strengthened law enforcement patrols in the island's waters, carrying out tracking and monitoring, radio warnings, and the interception and expulsion of vessels and aircraft involved in illegal intrusion and provocation, in accordance with laws and regulations. These actions further enhance control and management of the relevant maritime areas and firmly safeguard China's national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, according to the CCG.

On the same day, the PLA's Southern Theater Command released a statement, saying it has organized combat-readiness patrols in the territorial waters and airspace of China's Huangyan Dao and surrounding areas.

Since October, the PLA's Southern Theater Command has deployed naval and air forces to continuously strengthen combat-readiness patrols in the waters and airspace around Huangyan Dao, further enhancing control measures, effectively responding to various infringements and provocations, resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty and security, and firmly maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea region.

China has long exercised routine control over Huangyan Dao, seamlessly linking sovereignty enforcement with on-site management, sending a clear message to the outside world that there is no sovereignty dispute - only China's lawful exercise of jurisdiction, Ding Duo, director of the Research Center for International and Regional Studies at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times on Friday.

These measures draw a clear red line, demonstrating China's full capability and determination to immediately counter any infringement and safeguard territorial sovereignty, Ding said, adding that coordination between the coast guard and the theater command forms a complete system of frontline law enforcement supported by military strategy.

Such coordination also highlights China's strategic and flexible approach to safeguarding its maritime rights, combining routine enforcement with a display of strong national resolve and defense capability, Ding said.

In response to a question about that Philippine public vessels intruded into waters adjacent to islands and reefs of China's Nansha Qundao and its reconnaissance aircraft intruded into territorial airspace over China's Huangyan Dao, and the Philippine side claimed that China's corresponding operations endangered its personnel and equipment, Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, told at a regular press conference on Thursday that China has indisputable sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao and its adjacent waters, and has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters.

For some time, the Philippine side has launched frequent infringements and provocations against China, stirring up trouble at sea. It has attempted to make waves at sea by soliciting external support, blackmailing and pressuring China through bluffing acts that resembles the fox borrowing the tiger's terror. It has also kept spreading false information to smear China and mislead the public, Zhang said.

The Chinese side will firmly safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests with legitimate, legal, professional and prudent actions to protect our rights, Zhang said, noting that we would never allow any provocations and trouble-making to work, nor would we leave any room for blackmailing the big by the small.

"We urge the Philippine side to mend its ways before it's too late, return to the right track of dialogue and consultation, and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea together with other regional countries," the spokesperson said.