China has begun 2025 with a near continuous presence of its 165-meter “monster” coast guard ship in the Philippine’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the Philippine coast of Zambales. A further 60 to 70 nautical miles to the west is Scarborough Shoal, seized by China in 2012, but located within Manila’s EEZ. The West Philippine Coast Guard says Beijing seeks to “normalize” its presence in this area and thereby change the status quo. In this show, South China Sea expert, Liu Fu-kuo, said that Chinese reports show it plans to militarize Scarborough Shoal to enhance the feature’s strategic value, with Beijing waiting for an appropriate time.
