Philippines flexes middle power clout in China sea dispute

The Philippines joined Australia and Canada in a joint cooperative sail this week near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea that has been under Chinese control for over a decade. The drills marked a show of force by rising middle-power countries, which are increasingly willing to challenge Chinese power at sea in the Pacific.

The two-day activities that culminated on Wednesday (September 3) were led by the Philippine Navy’s BRP Jose Rizal (FF150) and backed by the Australian ship HMAS Brisbane and Canada’s HMCS Ville de Quebec, which all took formation as they sailed near the contested Scarborough Shoal.

Just 232 kilometers (125 nautical miles) west of the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, the shoal has been under China’s control since 2012 after a monthslong standoff with Philippine vessels.

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