Relations between Manila and Beijing have deteriorated under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as the country shifts back towards the United States, which supports the Philippines in its maritime disputes with China.
Here is a timeline of key events this year that have heightened tensions between the Philippines and China:
JAN 3 – The Philippines and the United States conduct their second joint patrol in the South China Sea, while China carries out similar naval and air operations in the disputed waters.
MARCH 5 – The Philippines criticizes China for the “reckless” and “illegal” actions of its coast guard, which led to a collision with a Philippine vessel, damaging the ship and injuring crew members during a resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal. China claims the Philippine vessels entered waters near the shoal illegally.
MARCH 20 – China urges the U.S. to avoid “stirring up trouble” or taking sides on the South China Sea issue, following U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s statement that the security agreement with the Philippines includes protection for attacks on the Philippine coast guard.
MARCH 24 – China’s coast guard reports taking action against Philippine vessels on a resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal. The Philippines condemns the use of water cannons, which damaged its ship and injured crew members, as “irresponsible and provocative.”
APRIL 7 – The U.S., Japan, and Australia conduct a “maritime cooperative activity” in the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea.
APRIL 11 – The U.S. Army deploys its ground-based Typhon missile system for the first time in the Indo-Pacific during joint military drills with the Philippines.
APRIL 16 – The Philippines sends its coast guard ship, Teresa Magbanua, to monitor potential small-scale reclamation activities by China at Sabina Shoal, which China denies.
APRIL 30 – The Philippines accuses China’s coast guard of harassing and damaging two Philippine vessels in a disputed area of the South China Sea. Manila rejects China’s claim that it expelled the vessels from Scarborough Shoal.
MAY 10 – The Philippines’ national security adviser calls for the expulsion of Chinese diplomats over an alleged leak of a phone conversation with a senior Filipino navy official.
MAY 15 – A civilian flotilla of Philippine vessels sails toward Scarborough Shoal to assert Manila’s maritime rights and deliver supplies to fishermen at the contested shoal.
MAY 20 – The Philippines challenges China to allow an independent third party to assess claims that Beijing has destroyed Scarborough Shoal’s marine environment.
MAY 22 – A Philippine navy admiral accuses the Chinese embassy of recording a phone conversation without his consent and denies making a deal with Beijing to ease South China Sea tensions.
JUNE 15 – The 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 the Philippines’ military calls an “intentional high-speed ramming” by the Chinese Coast Guard during a resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal. China disputes the account, stating its actions were lawful and professional.
JULY 2 – The Philippines and China agree to “restore trust” and “rebuild confidence” during high-level talks in Manila aimed at managing maritime disputes.
JULY 8 – The Philippines and Japan sign a historic military pact allowing each other’s forces to be deployed on their respective territories in response to China’s assertive regional actions.
JULY 17 – The Philippines and China agree to establish new communication lines to better handle maritime disputes.
JULY 22 – The Philippines and China reach a “provisional arrangement” for resupply missions to a grounded Filipino naval vessel at Second Thomas Shoal.
JULY 27 – The Philippines successfully completes a resupply mission to its troops at a disputed South China Sea shoal, the first such operation under the new arrangement with China aimed at easing tensions.
JULY 30 – The United States pledges $500 million in funding for the Philippines’ military and coast guard, showing strong support as Manila confronts China’s actions in the South China Sea.
AUG 2 – The Philippines and Japan hold their first joint military exercises in the South China Sea.
AUG 9 – The Philippines and Vietnam, both with maritime disputes against China, conduct their first joint coast guard exercises.
AUG 10 – The Philippines accuses China’s Air Force of “dangerous maneuvers” after flares were dropped near a Philippine aircraft conducting a routine patrol over Scarborough Shoal.
AUG 19 – The Philippines and China accuse each other of ramming vessels and engaging in dangerous maneuvers near Sabina Shoal.
AUG 24 – The Philippines urges Beijing to “immediately cease all provocative and dangerous actions” after accusing China of deploying flares from the China-occupied Subi Reef during Philippine patrols on August 22.
