China conducts combat readiness patrols around disputed shoal in South China Sea

China's military said ​on Friday its naval and air forces ​conducted combat readiness patrols around Scarborough ‌Shoal ​in has long been a flashpoint in tensions between Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea.

The People's Liberation Army ‌Southern Theater Command, in a statement, said the patrols were "necessary countermeasure in response to the Philippines' rights-violation and provocative acts" and it has strengthened such patrols this month. The Philippine embassy in Beijing ‌and the Philippine military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tensions between China ‌and the Philippines resurfaced at the close of a two-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations defence gathering on Thursday, with Beijing accusing an unnamed Philippine politician of obstructing its participation in the event. Manila said China had ⁠been ​given an opportunity at ⁠the meeting to state its position. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea via a nine-dash line ⁠on its maps that cuts into parts of the exclusive economic zones of Malaysia, Vietnam, the ​Philippines, Brunei and Indonesia. An international arbitral tribunal ruled in 2016 that China's sweeping claims ⁠have no basis under international law, a decision Beijing rejects.

"Such patrols are aimed at further enhancing control and management ⁠over ​relevant waters and airspace, and serve as an effective countermeasure to cope with all sorts of rights-violation and provocative acts," the Chinese military said. Separately, the China Coast Guard also ⁠conducted law-enforcement patrols in the waters around the shoal on Friday, calling the activities "necessary countermeasure in response to ⁠the Philippines' rights-violation ⁠and provocative acts."

Neither the Chinese military nor the China Coast Guard gave details on which Philippine actions they were referring to.