China Coast Guard Conducts Boarding and Towing Drills Near Scarborough Shoal

The China Coast Guard carried out law enforcement and control drills in waters adjacent to Huangyan Dao, also known as Scarborough Shoal, according to official statements released on September 27. Spokesperson Jiang Lue stated that the maneuvers focused on tactics including boarding and inspection, blocking intrusions, and forced towing. The agency asserted it will heighten enforcement efforts in the area to safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights, signaling a readiness to apply direct physical interdiction techniques during maritime standoffs.

The explicit public rehearsal of boarding, blocking, and forcibly towing vessels reflects the formalization of high-coercion, non-lethal maritime tactics by Beijing. By highlighting these procedures at Huangyan Dao, Chinese authorities signal a standard operating posture designed to seize direct physical control of non-compliant foreign vessels without escalating to conventional naval warfare.

The China Coast Guard (CCG) organized targeted maritime law enforcement and control drills in the waters surrounding Huangyan Dao, officially announced on September 27. According to statements reported by state media outlets including China Military Online and China News Network, the maneuvers focused on specific enforcement actions, notably boarding and inspection, intercepting intrusions, and forced towing. CCG spokesperson Jiang Lue confirmed the execution of the exercises, stating that the agency will continuously step up its enforcement and control measures in the vicinity of Huangyan Dao. Jiang emphasized that the intensified operations are intended to resolutely defend China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. While official releases did not specify the number of vessels or personnel participating in the operation, the drill's outlined curriculum reflects an emphasis on physical intervention capabilities. Practices such as boarding, blocking, and towing vessels represent tactical procedures for handling foreign ships that refuse dispersal orders or attempt to bypass maritime cordons. Huangyan Dao, internationally referred to as Scarborough Shoal, has long been a persistent friction point in the South China Sea, subject to competing territorial claims and routine maritime standoffs between Chinese and Philippine vessels. The public announcement of drills explicitly incorporating 'forced towing' comes amid recurring tensions over fishing access and governmental patrols in the South China Sea. By framing these exercises as routine rights-protection and administrative control, Beijing continues to assert domestic legal authority over the waters. Coast guard vessels regularly deploy near the shoal's perimeter, and the formal inclusion of towing maneuvers indicates an active tactical doctrine designed to mechanically remove external craft without engaging primary naval units.