South China Sea not the arena for extra-regional actors to flex muscles

The recent incursion by the Dutch frigate HNLMS De Ruyter into waters around China's Xisha Islands, compounded by the violation of China's airspace by a helicopter, necessitated a firm response from the Chinese People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command. Through verbal warnings and electronic jamming, the Chinese side effectively expelled the vessel, demonstrating its resolve to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

As a spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense said, the blatant provocation and meddling by the extra-regional country in the South China Sea deserve serious condemnation. The Dutch side's behavior infringed on China's territorial sovereignty and sea and air security, violated international law and the basic norms of international relations, undermined the peace and stability of the South China Sea, and could have caused a serious misunderstanding and misjudgment.

Yet, the latest incident was merely the tip of the iceberg. The Report on the Military Activities of Non-US Extra-Regional Countries in the Western Pacific in 2025, released on Tuesday by the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, paints a troubling picture. Extra-regional countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Canada and Australia, increased the frequency of their military activities in the Western Pacific last year.