Relations between Manila and Beijing have soured under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, with Manila pivoting back towards the United States which supports the Southeast Asian nation in its maritime disputes with China.
Here is a timeline of key events this year that have escalated tensions between the Philippines and China:
JAN 3 – The Philippines and the United States carry out their second joint patrol in the South China Sea as China conducts similar activity with its naval and air forces in the disputed waterway.
The Philippines calls out China for its coast guard’s “reckless” and “illegal” actions that led to a collision between a Chinese and Philippine ship, during a resupply mission for troops at the Second Thomas Shoal. China says the Philippine vessels illegally intruded into waters adjacent to the shoal.
MARCH 24 – China’s coastguard says it had taken measures against Philippine vessels carrying out a resupply mission for troops at the Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippines decried the moves, including the use of water cannon.
APRIL 7 – Defence forces of the U.S., Japan, Australia conduct “maritime cooperative activity” in the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone in the South China Sea.
APRIL 11 – The United States Army deploys its ground-based Typhon missile system as part of joint military drills with the Philippines, the first deployment of its mid-range capability in the Indo-Pacific.
APRIL 16 – The Philippines deploys its coast guard patrol ship, Teresa Magbanua to Sabina Shoal to monitor what it suspects to be to be small-scale reclamation activities by China, which denies the accusation.
APRIL 30 – The Philippines accuses China’s coast guard of harassment and of damaging two of its boats in Scarborough Shoal, and rejects Beijing’s position that it had expelled those vessels from the contested shoal.
MAY 15 – A civilian flotilla of Philippine vessels sails towards Scarborough Shoal to assert Manila’s maritime rights and to hand out supplies to fishermen anchored on the contested shoal.
JUNE 15 – Philippines files a claim with the United Nations for an extended continental shelf in the South China Sea.
JUNE 17 – A Philippine sailor loses a finger after what its military describes as “intentional-high speed ramming” by the Chinese Coast Guard to disrupt a resupply mission for troops stationed on the Second Thomas Shoal. China disputes Manila’s account, saying the necessary measures taken were lawful and professional.
JULY 2 – Philippines and China agree to “restore trust” and “rebuild confidence” to better manage maritime disputes during high-level talks on managing disputes in the South China Sea.
JULY 8 – Philippines and Japan sign landmark military pact allowing deployment of forces on each other’s soil.
JULY 17 – Philippines and China agree to set up new lines of communication to improve their handling of maritime disputes.
JULY 22 – Philippines and China reach a “provisional arrangement” for resupply missions to a beached Filipino naval ship in Second Thomas Shoal.
JULY 27 – The Philippines completed unimpeded a resupply trip to its troops at Second Thomas Shoal.
AUG 2 – Philippines and Japan hold first joint military exercises in the South China Sea.
AUG 9 – The Philippines and Vietnam hold first-ever joint coast guard exercise.
AUG 10 – Philippines accuses China’s Air Force of carrying out “dangerous maneuvers” by dropping flares in the path of a Philippine air force aircraft conducting a routine patrol over the Scarborough Shoal.
AU6 19 – Philippines and China accuse each other of ramming vessels and performing dangerous maneuvers near Sabina Shoal.
AUG 24 – Philippines accuses China of “unjustifiably” deploying flares from China-occupied Subi Reef on Aug. 22 while a Manila aircraft was conducting patrols.
AUG 25 – Philippines and China clash near Sabina Shoal over a Manila resupply mission for fishermen.
AUG 31 – Philippines and China exchange accusations of intentionally ramming coast guard vessels near the Sabina Shoal, their fifth maritime confrontation in a month.
SEPT 15 – Philippine coast guard vessel Teresa Magbanua leaves Sabina Shoal and returns to port after a five-month deployment in the contested feature.
SEPT 23 – The Philippines says a Chinese navy helicopter shadowed and approached its fisheries bureau aircraft while on patrol near Scarborough Shoal.
SEPT 28 – The Philippines holds a joint maritime activity with Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the U.S. in a portion of the South China Sea as China carries out its own military drills in the disputed waterway.
OCT 8 – The Philippines accuses China’s coast guard of firing water cannon at its ships bringing supplies to fishermen in Scarborough Shoal.
OCT 11 – The Philippines says a “Chinese maritime militia” boat sideswiped a government fisheries vessel while patrolling near Thitu island.
NOV 8 – The Philippines signs a maritime zones law and an archipelagic sea lanes law to define its maritime entitlements and designated sea and air routes, angering Beijing.
DEC 4 – China and the Philippines confront each other in Scarborough Shoal, accusing each other of aggressive behavior.
DEC 6 – Japan, the Philippines and the U.S. hold a maritime cooperative activity in Manila’s exclusive economic zone.
