The aerial view of China's Huangyan Dao Photo: Courtesy of South China Institute of Environmental Sciences under China Ministry of Ecology and Environment

The Chinese military on Wednesday conducted combat readiness patrols over the territorial waters and airspace of China's Huangyan Dao and surrounding areas.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command said the latest move, involving naval and air forces, is a lawful patrol activity.

The combat readiness patrols organized by the Southern Theater Command have two main objectives - respond to the provocative actions of the Philippines and deter its attempts to infringe upon and seize islands, and to uphold China's national sovereignty and the legal dignity of the government's South China Sea-related legislation through actual military actions, Zhuo Hua, an international affairs expert at the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times. 

Combat readiness patrols differ from routine training exercises. "Combat readiness patrols ensure personnel and equipment remain in full combat readiness, ready to respond to any accidental escalation or external attacks. This is the message China hopes provocation-seeking countries will understand and take seriously," Zhuo said.

The Philippines is continuously carrying out provocative actions in the South China Sea, including in waters near Huangyan Dao, which poses a threat to China's national security. It is necessary for the PLA Southern Theater Command to conduct relevant military exercises to ensure national security and safeguard our sovereignty, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times. 

China has taken a series of actions in response to the Philippines' introduction of the so-called Philippine Maritime Zones Act and Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act. On Sunday, China released baselines for the territorial sea adjacent to Huangyan Dao, and the China Coast Guard (CCG) stated it will continuously strengthen patrols and law enforcement in the territorial waters of Huangyan Dao and related maritime areas. 

On Wednesday, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines released a statement, saying that Ambassador Huang Xilian has lodged a solemn representation to the Philippine department of Foreign Affairs regarding the signing of the "laws." We urge the Philippine side to immediately cease unilateral actions that may lead to the expansion of disputes and complication of the situation, and to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea, said the statement.

The Philippine coastguard is set for a transformative upgrade with the planned acquisition of 49 new ships from France and Japan, the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday. 

China does not seek to provoke any nation, but no country should bully or provoke China. We urge those considering provocative actions to think carefully and avoid moves that could backfire, Song said.