The Chinese military carried out combat readiness patrols in certain areas of the South China Sea from Monday to Tuesday, as reported by state media. This activity follows a series of uncommon military drills and exercises that took place over the weekend.

According to reports, the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) engaged in these patrols to enhance combat readiness and ensure peace and stability in the South China Sea region.

China asserts sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, despite competing claims from Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague determined that China’s claims lacked a basis in international law, a ruling that Beijing has dismissed.

On Saturday, Chinese air and naval forces conducted operations near the contested Scarborough Shoal, coinciding with announcements from Australia and the Philippines regarding joint military exercises with Japan, New Zealand, and the United States in the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The shoal, located approximately 200 km (124 miles) west of Luzon, the principal island of the Philippines, falls within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone and has been a point of contention between Beijing and Manila for an extended period.

During recent discussions in New York with China’s chief diplomat, Wang Yi, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed concerns regarding China’s “dangerous and destabilizing actions” in the South China Sea.

Blinken has previously criticized Beijing for its assertive movements involving coast guard and fishing vessels, which are believed to function as a maritime militia in the region.