(MENAFN) China’s military reported on Saturday that it monitored a recent joint maritime exercise conducted by the Philippines alongside foreign partners in the contested South China Sea, according to a state-run news agency.

Tian Junli, spokesperson for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command, accused Manila of having “severely undermined regional peace and stability.”

He added that the PLA deployed forces to “closely track and monitor” the maneuvers, emphasizing that “all such actions seeking to stir up trouble in the South China Sea are under our firm control.”

“The recent developments further confirm that the Philippines is acting as a troublemaker in the South China Sea issue and a disruptor of regional stability,” Tian said.

The exercises, held from Oct. 30 to Oct. 31, involved the Philippines working with the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

Tian reiterated that Chinese forces “remain on high alert and will resolutely defend national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.”

At the time of publication, the Philippines had not issued a public response to the Chinese military’s statement.

Tensions between Beijing and Manila have escalated in recent months over the resource-rich waterway, which China claims almost entirely. The Philippines, which will chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2026, has pursued closer security ties with Western allies amid repeated maritime confrontations with Chinese vessels.

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