Beijing — China carried out a “bomber formation patrol” over the disputed South China Sea on Sunday, marking the first time its military has publicly announced such an operation. The move came shortly after the Philippines conducted joint maritime patrols with the United States and Japan, a development Beijing has strongly criticised.
The Southern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said the patrol was launched in response to what it called repeated “collusion” between Manila and “external forces.” The joint drills by the US, Japan and the Philippines were held from Friday to Saturday across contested waters that Beijing claims almost entirely.
Senior Colonel Tian Junli, spokesperson for the Southern Theatre Command, accused the Philippines of heightening tensions through its security cooperation with foreign militaries. “We issue a solemn warning to the Philippine side to stop creating incidents and escalating tensions,” he said, adding that PLA forces remain on high alert to defend China’s sovereignty and security.
Military experts quoted by China’s state-run media described bomber formations as a significant show of force, capable of carrying out saturation strikes against large naval vessels. Analyst Song Zhongping said the deployment underscored China’s intent to deter what it views as efforts by Manila to undermine its territorial claims.
The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all contest China’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea, a critical corridor for global trade. The region has seen repeated confrontations in recent months, including collisions between Chinese and Philippine vessels.
The bomber patrol also coincided with rising diplomatic friction between China and Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recently said that a conflict involving Taiwan could be deemed a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, potentially allowing Tokyo to exercise collective self-defence under its security laws.
Her remarks triggered a sharp reaction from Beijing. The PLA Daily issued a strongly worded commentary warning that any Japanese military involvement in the Taiwan Strait could turn Japan “into a battlefield.” The article accused Tokyo of attempting to interfere in China’s internal affairs and warned that such actions would lead Japan “down a path of no return.”
Meanwhile, a new poll in Japan showed public support for Takaichi rising to 69.9%, with more than half of respondents favouring increased defence spending. Nearly half also supported the option of collective self-defence in the event of a Taiwan crisis, according to Kyodo News.
