China’s People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command said its naval units conducted “routine” patrols in the South China Sea on 3–4 August, underscoring Beijing’s determination to assert control over the contested waterway. State media criticised what it called efforts by Manila to enlist outside powers for joint operations, saying such moves undermine regional stability. Separately, the Philippine and Indian navies completed their first joint sail over the same two-day period inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, according to officials in Manila. The exercise featured Indian guided-missile destroyer INS Delhi, tanker INS Shakti and corvette INS Kiltan alongside Philippine frigates BRP Miguel Malvar and BRP Jose Rizal. Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner said the passage aimed to deepen defence cooperation and encountered only routine shadowing by other vessels. In a related move, the China Coast Guard said it had warned off and expelled a Japanese fishing vessel that entered waters around the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands between 1 and 4 August. Beijing reiterated that the islands are “an inherent part of China’s territory” and urged Tokyo to halt what it termed illegal activities.