China Launches Bomber Patrol As Response To US-Philippines-Japan Drills

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command conducted its first publicly announced "bomber formation patrol" over the disputed South China Sea on Friday, accompanied by fighter jets, as a direct counter to joint maritime drills by the United States, Japan, and the Philippines. The two-day exercise by the three nations, dubbed the "Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity," took place from Friday to Saturday in areas claimed by China, including near disputed features like the Scarborough Shoal. A PLA spokesperson described the patrol as a routine operation to maintain high alert levels and safeguard national sovereignty, security, and regional stability.

The patrol involved a formation of strategic bombers, likely H-6K models equipped for long-range strikes, escorted by fighter aircraft, marking the first time the Southern Theater Command has explicitly linked such a mission to the Philippines' "so-called joint patrols with external forces." According to state media, the action serves as a stern warning to provocateurs, amid China's expansive claims over nearly 90% of the South China Sea, which overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. The region, vital for global trade routes carrying over $3 trillion annually, has seen repeated collisions between Chinese and Philippine vessels in recent months, heightening risks of miscalculation.

The trilateral drills follow a leaders' summit in April 2025, where the US, Japan, and Philippines pledged enhanced maritime cooperation, joint patrols, and defense coordination under frameworks like the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between Manila and Tokyo, effective since September. These exercises build on earlier ones like Balikatan and KAMANDAG 9, involving US F-35 jets and Philippine FA-50 aircraft. China has criticized them as destabilizing, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson urging the Philippines to cease provocations. Analysts note the bomber patrol diversifies PLA tactics, leveraging improved capabilities to project power without direct confrontation.