Philippines takes diplomatic action against China over floating structure in South China Sea

“The Philippines’ Foreign Ministry has undertaken appropriate diplomatic action against China in connection with ​the “illegal presence” of a floating structure in a disputed atoll,” the ‌country’s South China Sea task force said on ​Tuesday (June 9, 2026).

The task force confirmed the presence of ⁠a floating structure, measuring 6 by 6 metres, and featuring what appeared to be an antenna in the disputed Scarborough Shoal in ‌the South China Sea.

“The Philippine government will continue to take appropriate actions consistent with international law and ‌in defence of the country’s national interests,” it said ‌in ⁠a statement, adding that the protection of Manila’s ⁠sovereignty and jurisdiction “remains a paramount consideration.”

“The structure, initially spotted at the entrance to the shoal and later inside its lagoon, appeared to be ​manned,” the task force said, ‌citing the latest images from the armed forces. The task force did not say when the images were taken, but Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on the ‌sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May ​30 that he had received raw information indicating the presence of the structure on the shoal.

The task ⁠force said it is closely monitoring developments and assessing the nature, purpose and potential implications of the installation, insisting that ‌Scarborough “is part of the Philippines and within its maritime zones as recognised by international law.”

Satellite images obtained by Reuters on June 5, 2026, confirmed the presence of a structure at the lagoon’s entrance, but later images showed it was no longer present.

Scarborough is a prime fishing spot located ‌200 km (124 miles) off the western coast of the country. It is ​also 874 km from Hainan, China’s nearest land mass. Since 2012, China has maintained constant deployment of coastguard ⁠and maritime militia ships in the area.

Sovereignty over Scarborough, ⁠which China calls Huangyan Island, has not been established, but a 2016 arbitral tribunal ruled largely in favour ‌of the Philippines, saying China’s blockade of the shoal violated international law and that the area was a ​traditional fishing ground for several countries.