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Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela documents Chinese Communist Party-installed structures at Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), including a movable floating platform, three new buoys atop earlier ones from October 2025, an unidentified spherical object, and two antennas. Courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard
Relations between the Philippines and China have grown even more strained in 2026. Beijing appears eager to stabilize ties with Manila, but it has shown little willingness to make meaningful concessions. Instead, it has offered limited economic incentives while continuing military pressure in the South China Sea. The approach has largely backfired, prompting a tougher response from the Philippines and leaving Beijing increasingly frustrated.
Scarborough Shoal Standoff
Since taking effective control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012, China has repeatedly been involved in incidents that damaged Philippine vessels and injured Filipino personnel. In 2026, Beijing significantly stepped up its patrols and enforcement activities around the disputed shoal.
Wang He has master’s degrees in law and history, and has studied the international communist movement. He was a university lecturer and an executive of a large private firm in China. Wang now lives in North America and has published commentaries on China’s current affairs and politics since 2017.
