Overview

• China’s PLA Southern Theater Command said it conducted a “routine patrol” on Friday and Saturday, the second in less than two weeks, and issued a stern warning for the Philippines to halt perceived provocations and reliance on external backing.
• The Philippines, United States and Japan completed joint maritime exercises on Sept. 12–13 inside the Philippine exclusive economic zone, featuring warships, aircraft and anti‑submarine, interdiction and search‑and‑rescue drills.
• China’s State Council announced plans for a 3,523‑hectare national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal, with designated core and protection zones that further formalize Beijing’s administrative claim to the feature.
• The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs lodged a formal diplomatic protest against the reserve plan, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the move as coercive and destabilizing, citing international law and the 2016 arbitral award.
• Analysts say the reserve designation could be used to justify stepped‑up law enforcement to restrict Philippine activity near the shoal, characterizing the approach as a form of environmental lawfare.