Context: The Philippines inaugurated a new coast guard monitoring base on Thitu Island occupied by Filipino forces in the disputed South China Sea.

About Philippines New Coast Guard Monitoring Base

• The Philippines plans to expand joint patrols with the U.S. and Australia to counter China’s “pure bullying” in the strategic waterway.
• China’s stand: China has warned that such joint naval patrols must not hurt its “territorial sovereignty, maritime rights, and interests.’’

Thitu Island:

• Thitu Island  is a rock located in the Spratly Islands. The Philippines first took possession of the feature in 1974.

Philippines-China Disputes:

Scarborough Shoal:

• China seized the shoal in 2012 after a standoff with the Philippines.
• Since then it has maintained a constant deployment of coast guard and fishing trawlers.
• The Philippines and China claim the shoal, but sovereignty has never been established and remains effectively under Beijing’s control.

Contesting Claims:

• The Scarborough Shoal, also known as Huangyan Island. While it comes under the Philippines’ EEZ.
  • Beijing claims that the records show “China’s sailors discovered Huangyan Island 2,000 years ago.

About South China Sea:

• The South China Sea is part of the Pacific Ocean partially enclosed by islands, archipelagos, and peninsulas from the open ocean. 
• Location: The Sea is located to the South of China, West of the Philippines, North of the Bangka-Belitung Islands and Borneo, and East of Vietnam and Cambodia.
• Major Flowing rivers: Min, Mekong, Pearl, Red, Pampanga, Pahang, Pasig, and Jiulong Rivers. 

For more Details: South China Sea Dispute: Conflict, Collision, Geopolitics, and Tensions

News Source: The Hindu