Overview

• Philippine forces reported five China Coast Guard cutters, nine maritime militia vessels and multiple fast boats upgraded with mounted weapons near the BRP Sierra Madre, with a helicopter and a drone overhead.
• Officials and video showed Chinese small craft inside the shoal conducting water-cannon drills and laying nets, as two Philippine rubber boats moved to prevent further approach to the outpost.
• China’s coast guard said it had implemented “control measures,” accused Philippine boats of provocative maneuvers and released a short clip of the encounter.
• The heightened presence follows the Aug. 11 collision between a Chinese destroyer and a China coast guard cutter near Scarborough Shoal, which analysts say has prompted a hardened show of force.
• Separately, Manila and Canberra said they aim to sign a new defense pact in 2026 and are conducting Exercise Alon, their largest drills to date, which both describe as strengthening deterrence.