The joint patrol on Tuesday over the Scarborough Shoal was the first by the longtime treaty allies since President Donald Trump took office again.

The same day, the PLA's Southern Theater Command's Air Force conducted a routine patrol over Huangyan Island in the South China Sea. Li Jianjian, a spokesperson for the theater command's Air Force, said the Philippines had worked with outside countries to organize "joint patrols", further undermining peace and stability in the region.

Earlier, Chinese naval vessels attracted Manila’s ire as they crossed Basilan Strait on the way to distant-sea training exercise.

The Philippines and United States air forces conducted joint patrols over the South China Sea, specifically in the West Philippine Sea. This one-day exercise involved the participation of Philippine FA-50 fighter jets and U.

The Chinese military carried out combat readiness patrols in waters and airspace surrounding a hotly disputed Sea shoal on Friday, the latest in a series of exercises to reinforce its control of the area.

The Philippines has launched a comic book to counter what the country says is China’s disinformation campaign to push its expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea

Air patrol exercise underscores Manila’s efforts to assert its maritime claims while testing US commitment to regional security, analysts say.