(MENAFN) China strongly criticized the Philippines on Sunday following the Southeast Asian nation’s recent joint maritime drills with the United States and Japan.

The Chinese military urged the Philippines to “immediately halt provocative actions” and warned against further escalating tensions in the South China Sea, according to state-run reports. Tian Junli, spokesperson for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command, said the statement in response to the Philippines’ “joint patrols” with foreign powers, which China claims “undermined peace and stability in the region.”

Tian noted that the PLA Southern Theater Command conducted its own routine South China Sea patrol on Friday, deploying a bomber formation as part of standard operations.

The warning from Beijing followed the Philippine-led naval exercises with the United States Indo-Pacific Command and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, held on November 14-15 in the disputed waters.

According to reports from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the drills involved a series of coordinated maritime and aerial maneuvers with participation from multiple naval vessels.

“These drills reflected the Philippines’ ‘commitment to safeguarding the nation’s sovereign rights and advancing collective defense readiness alongside trusted partners,’” the statement posted on social media said.

The Philippine military added, “These engagements highlight not only the Philippines’ steadfast resolve to defend its maritime domains but also its shared commitment with partners to strengthen deterrence, enhance interoperability, and uphold freedom of navigation under a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific.”

MENAFN16112025000045017640ID1110350126