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Chinese military conducts a routine patrol in South China Sea
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The PLA Southern Theater Command conducted a naval and air patrol in the South China Sea on Sunday, with spokesperson Zhai Shichen framing it explicitly as a counter to Philippine-led joint patrols with extra-regional partners. The statement documents the STC's standard practice of pairing routine patrol announcements with rhetorical pushback against Philippine coalition-building — the framing points to Beijing's effort to delegitimize multilateral patrols as external interference rather than address their legal basis. What the article does not provide: patrol location, specific platforms, or force composition.
Translation
File photo of the South China Sea. /VCG
The Chinese People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command (STC) deployed its naval and air forces to conduct a routine patrol in the South China Sea on Sunday, STC spokesperson Zhai Shichen said.
In an attempt to stir up trouble in the South China Sea, the Philippines co-opted countries outside the region to conduct so-called joint patrols, disrupting peace and stability in the region, Zhai said.
Forces of the STC will resolutely safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, while firmly uphold regional peace and stability, the spokesperson added.
Original text
File photo of the South China Sea. /VCG The Chinese People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command (STC) deployed its naval and air forces to conduct a routine patrol in the South China Sea on Sunday, STC spokesperson Zhai Shichen said. In an attempt to stir up trouble in the South China Sea, the Philippines co-opted countries outside the region to conduct so-called joint patrols, disrupting peace and stability in the region, Zhai said. Forces of the STC will resolutely safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, while firmly uphold regional peace and stability, the spokesperson added.