China: China on Wednesday held joint military drills amid escalating maritime disputes with the Philippines, state media reported. The Southern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) conducted naval and air combat readiness patrols around the Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines. The PLA described the operations as a "regular lawful patrol and alert activity." According to Anadolu Agency, both Beijing and Manila claim sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal. The latest drills come after Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act last Friday, targeting the disputed South China Sea. Manila refers to parts of this vast water body as the West Philippines Sea. In response to these developments, Beijing lodged a protest, summoned the Filipino ambassador, and rejected the laws as a "violation" of Chinese territorial sovereignty. Manila insists that the laws are intended to reinforce its entitlement and responsibility within its maritime zones, which it refers to as the West Philippines Sea. The Philippines and China have overlapping claims in the resource-rich and strategically significant waters of the South China Sea.