Two Chinese long-range bombers have been spotted on satellite images as Beijing bids to assert dominance in the South China Sea.
The two H-6 bombers were deployed around the strategic Scarborough Shoal last week - although the move was not publicised by China.
The deployment came ahead of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s trip to the Philippines - a state which also insists that the shoal is within its exclusive economic zone.
Beijing has not yet spoken out on whether its deployment was specifically aligned with the diplomatic visit.
The satellite images from Maxar Technologies show the aircraft positioned east of the shoal, which China refers to as "Huangyan Dao"
REUTERS
The satellite images from Maxar Technologies show the aircraft positioned east of the shoal, which China refers to as "Huangyan Dao".
China's defence ministry did not immediately respond to questions about the scale of the deployment or its timing, while the Philippines has claimed that the shoal lies within its exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles.
In recent years, Chinese coast guard vessels have frequently clashed with Philippine fishermen near the mouth of the atoll, causing Beijing to try to block access to the shoal at times since it seized de facto control in 2012.
Last month, the Philippines coast guard accused the Chinese navy of performing dangerous flight manoeuvres in the vicinity.
Maxar Technologies noted that "rainbow colours" visible close to the aircraft in the images resulted from the satellite processing of fast-moving objects.
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Officials from the Philippines National Security Council and military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
An international arbitration tribunal in the Hague ruled in 2016 that China's claim on the region had no legal basis, but Beijing rejected that decision.
Meanwhile, regional security analysts suggest the timing of the flights was unlikely to be accidental.
Peter Layton, from Australia's Griffith Asia Institute, said Beijing was sending "a signal that China has a sophisticated military".
"The bombers' second message could be you (the United States) have the potential for long range strike; so do we, and in larger numbers. Clearly not serendipity," he added.
During his visit to Manila on Friday, Hegseth reaffirmed America's "ironclad commitment" to its mutual defence treaty with the Philippines, declaring that China's actions made deterrence necessary in the South China Sea.
Similar to the US B-52, the basic H-6 design dates back to the 1950s
REUTERS
Similar to the US B-52, the basic H-6 design dates back to the 1950s.
With improved engines, modern strike weapons and updated on-board flight systems, it serves as China's key long-range bomber.
The Pentagon's annual report on China's military in December indicated a more stealthy aircraft was likely in development.
The bombers were deployed in war game drills around Taiwan in October, which China claims as its own territory.
Similar exercises took place near Scarborough Shoal in late December, as part of broader operations by the Chinese military's Southern Theatre Command.
The command, which covers the South China Sea, operates two regiments of these bombers, according to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The December drills were publicised, with China's defence ministry saying they were intended to "resolutely safeguard China's national sovereignty and security".
