Philippines Protests Chinese Floating Structure at Scarborough Shoal

The Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines lodged a diplomatic protest against China on June 9, 2026, after the Philippine military and coast guard detected a floating structure at the disputed Scarborough Shoal. The object, described as a 6-by-6 meter movable wooden platform equipped with an antenna and personnel, was spotted both at the shoal's entrance and inside its lagoon.

Philippine security officials, including General Romeo Brawner, warned that the installation could be a precursor to the construction of an artificial island, similar to Chinese developments in the Spratlys archipelago. The Philippine Coast Guard indicated the platform was likely deployed by Chinese research vessels. In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China dismissed the concerns, asserting indisputable sovereignty over the area, which it calls Huangyan Island, and claiming that scientific research activities are the legitimate rights of a sovereign state.

The incident occurs as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations continues negotiations for a South China Sea Code of Conduct. Amid the tension, retired Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio urged the Philippine government to challenge China's claims regarding the High Seas Treaty to prevent the loss of exclusive economic zones in the West Philippine Sea.