Coast guard ships conduct law enforcement drills in South China Sea.

The US, Japanese, and Philippine coast guard ships conducted law enforcement drills in the South China Sea, focusing on interdiction and boarding of a vessel suspected of carrying weapons of mass destruction. The exercises aimed to strengthen global maritime governance through professional exchanges and combined operations. The Biden administration has been strengthening military alliances in the Indo-Pacific to counter China, including in the South China Sea and any future confrontation over Taiwan. The Philippine coast guard has intensified patrols in the South China Sea and taken extra efforts to document and publicize assertive Chinese behavior in the waterway.