Philippines Opens Thitu Island Base Amid Chinese Flare Incidents

The Philippine Coast Guard opened a major district command on Thitu Island in the South China Sea on April 9, 2026. Unveiled during the country's Day of Valor, the base is intended to defend Filipino fishermen and maritime jurisdiction in a region also claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Transport Secretary Giovanni Lopez described the facility as a permanent step to defend national sovereignty.

On the afternoon of the opening, the Philippine Coast Guard accused Chinese forces of firing flares at a Caravan aircraft during routine maritime domain awareness flights over the Kalayaan Island Group, specifically near the Chinese-occupied Subi and Mischief Reefs. Philippine officials characterized the incident as a "clear and deliberate act of bullying."

The PLA Southern Theater Command and the Chinese Ministry of National Defense responded by describing the flares as a restrained warning against an illegal intrusion into Chinese airspace. Chinese officials warned that Philippine provocations near the Nansha Qundao and Scarborough Shoal are self-defeating and could lead to more resolute countermeasures. The new command on Thitu Island will be led by a commodore and supported by patrol ships and aircraft, with plans for additional outposts on other Philippine-occupied outcrops.