Scarborough Shoal · Full chronicle and history

On October 3, a reconnaissance aircraft of the Philippine military circled over Huangyan Island, openly asserting sovereignty and once again heightening tensions in the South China Sea.

On September 27, the Chinese military held joint naval and air exercises around the disputed Scarborough Shoal, also known as Huangyan Island, in the South China Sea.

On September 27, the Chinese PLA Southern Theater Command organized joint exercises in the maritime and air space around Scarborough Shoal, stating that the action targets certain countries disrupting regional stability.

The U.S. Department of State issued a statement criticizing China's establishment of a national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal and its actions to block Filipino fishermen from accessing their traditional fishing grounds, calling them destabilizing.

On August 8, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott issued a statement condemning China for advancing its South China Sea expansion claims under the pretext of environmental and legal grounds and by means of coercion, saying that the United States stands together with its ally, the Philippines.

The Philippines submitted to the United Nations an official nautical chart concerning Scarborough Shoal, marking its claimed baselines and the limits of maritime zones delimited under international law.

According to Chinese state media, China held sea and air joint communication exercises near Huangyan Island to test the coordination of maritime and aerial operations and rapid reinforcement capabilities.

On August 1st, military aircraft continued to fly and warships continued to operate near Scarborough Shoal.

About a year after a collision between a China Coast Guard vessel and a Chinese Navy ship near Scarborough Shoal, official Chinese information has confirmed that the accident resulted in casualties on the Chinese side.

From August 1, China unilaterally implemented new management regulations for the Huangyan Island national nature reserve, announcing a complete ban on fishing, mining, and coral reef excavation within the waters, and that the China Coast Guard will establish a regular patrol mechanism. The United States and the Philippines said they do not recognize it.

The Southern Theater Command conducted joint sea and air exercises near Scarborough Shoal, while the coast guard simultaneously organized rights defense law enforcement and control drills.

On July 24, the Philippines organized multiple government vessels, coast guard ships, and a large number of fishing boats to confront CCP coast guard ships in the waters of Scarborough Shoal, triggering a standoff.

On July 24, Chinese Coast Guard ships fired water cannons and carried out dangerous close approaches against a Philippine government vessel near Scarborough Shoal, at one point coming within only 7 meters of the Philippine ship; the day before, a Philippine government vessel had also been hit by Chinese Coast Guard water cannons for more than two minutes.

The Philippine Coast Guard said a Chinese coast guard ship fired a water cannon at a Philippine fisheries vessel near Scarborough Shoal; the Chinese side said the Philippine vessel had intruded into disputed waters.

The Philippines sent a large number of coast guard vessels directly into the waters around Scarborough Shoal, where they clashed head-on with vessels of the Chinese Communist Party military.

The Southern Theater Command organized naval and air forces to conduct combat readiness patrols in the territorial waters and airspace of Scarborough Shoal and the surrounding maritime and air areas, maintaining stability in the southern defense zone.

In his program on June 18, 2026, Hu Liren analyzed that the Chinese Communist Party has withdrawn its forces from Scarborough Shoal for the first time in more than a decade, showing that Xi Jinping is making a strategic retreat under Trump's tough posture.

A video claims that recently there are no longer Chinese vessels at Scarborough Shoal, and the relevant vessels of the China Coast Guard, Navy, and Southern Theater Command have all pulled back and retreated.

It is alleged that a collision between CCP vessels and Philippine vessels in the South China Sea caused the deaths of two military personnel, aged 21 and 25; related claims state that the incident was not disclosed until August 2026.

Following the vessel collision incident, Beijing accused the Philippines of dangerous maneuvers, but did not directly mention the collision details.