Tensions in the South China Sea have surged once again, with Manila adopting a more forceful posture in response to increasing Chinese aggression.

Recent incidents, from naval collisions to dangerous aerial interceptions, illustrate the fraught nature of the region, and reveal the Philippines’ evolving strategy to defend its maritime rights.

On August 11, dramatic footage released by the Philippine coast guard showed a Chinese navy vessel and a coast guard ship colliding while attempting to intercept a Philippine patrol vessel near the contested Scarborough Shoal, a flashpoint lying well within Manila's exclusive economic zone. The Chinese coast guard vessel was left severely damaged and reportedly unseaworthy. The Philippines offered aid, but reportedly received no response according to local and international media at the time.

The next day tensions escalated further when a Chinese fighter jet conducted a risky intercept of a Philippine Coast Guard aircraft carrying journalists over the same contested shoal. The fighter plane flew within 60 metres of the Philippine plane for approximately 20 minutes, at times issuing radio messages to vacate the area Reuters reported.

This aerial provocation followed days of mounting maritime friction.

Scarborough Shoal lies some 200 km (124 miles) from the Philippines and falls within its exclusive economic zone. The area is prized for its rich fishing grounds and sheltered lagoon but encounters with Chinese military vessels are increasingly common as Beijing claims control over nearly the entire South China Sea through a U-shaped “nine-dash line,” a claim rejected by a 2016 international arbitration ruling, which also declared China’s blockade of Scarborough Shoal unlawful.

China, which rejects the ruling, has maintained a continuous presence at the reef since seizing it in 2012, deploying coastguard vessels and maritime militia.

In reaction to the collision, later the same day the United States briefly dispatched two warships – the USS Higgins and USS Cincinnati - to the vicinity of Scarborough Shoal as a show of support for Manila and to assert freedom of navigation, The Times says.

Back on land, talks are underway to deploy further US missile systems in the Philippines, notably Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction Systems, reaffirming the strategic defence partnership between Washington and Manila, AP News reports.

This is part of a policy introduced by Manila to use transparency as a means of international advocacy. Dubbed the “transparency initiative,” this strategy involves publicising evidence of Chinese "grey zone" harassment - including visuals and data from incidents - to shape global perceptions and gain diplomatic backing.

Less visibly, the Philippines has also enacted several legal instruments to solidify its claims. The Philippine Maritime Zones Act, ratified in November 2024, legally delineates Manila’s territorial sea, archipelagic waters, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf, aligning firmly with UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling.

In addition, Manila has taken to the courts and international bodies. Legal scholars like Antonio Carpio argue that the country can further challenge China's overreaching claims through litigation, maintaining that baselines cannot be drawn from maritime features not legally owned according to Europe News earlier in the year.

Militarily, the Philippine armed forces are also working to enhance interoperability through multilateral maritime cooperative activities. Regular joint drills with allies such as the United States, Japan, Australia, and others are helping the Philippines military bolster capability in contested sea zones.

Yet while Manila’s response to China’s aggressive maritime and aerial forays is multifaceted, combining legal codification, military cooperation, transparency diplomacy, and strategic alliances, this layered approach is just one aspect of life in a region where regional stability and international maritime law increasingly hang in the balance.