External factors threaten stability in South China Sea

The situation in the South China Sea has taken a turn for the worse with the US-led militarization of the waters threatening to destroy peace and stability in the region.

The US and some of its allies from outside the region have staged military exercises in various forms in the South China Sea. Large combat platforms have appeared in the region more frequently than at any time since the end of the Cold War.

Multilateral security mechanisms against China have emerged one after another in the South China Sea. Since 2021, the United States, Japan, Australia, and some countries in the region have been keen to build a multilateral security architecture. The Quad, AUKUS and the similar security alliance of the US, Japan and the Republic of Korea all target China. The US and the Philippine navies carried out a joint patrol in the South China Sea in September. The US is trying to build a four-nation linkage mechanism comprising the Philippines, Japan, Australia and itself.