Scarborough Shoal

2025 is shaping up as another year of friction and contention in disputed parts of the South China Sea.

On December 4, Chinese ships, including a navy vessel, confronted Philippine vessels close to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.

The confrontations at Scarborough and Sabina shoals indicate that Beijing has no intention of easing off on its pressure campaign in disputed waters.

The move was a direct response to the Philippines' enactment of two new laws aimed at strengthening the country's own maritime claims.

The encounter over Scarborough Shoal was the first aerial run-in since high-seas hostilities between Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea started to flare last year.

Public attitudes toward China in the Philippines have dipped considerably as tensions have increased in the South China Sea.

The Philippine Coast Guard claims that Chinese fishermen hunting giant clams have caused significant damage to the reefs at Scarborough Shoal.

About 100 Filipinos are sailing to Scarborough Shoal to assert the Philippines' sovereignty, while being trailed by at least two Chinese ships.

The past year has seen a string of confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels in contested parts of the South China Sea.

The incident near Chinese-occupied Scarborough Shoal caused damage to two vessels, the Philippine government said.

While differences remain, the two nations are experiencing an increasing strategic convergence on the South China Sea.