China has carried out joint naval and air drills near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, as its military newspaper warned the Philippines that Beijing has a "rich and powerful" toolkit against those who "make waves" in the area.
The exercises took place a day before the warning, which was published on Sunday in the People's Liberation Army Daily, China's military mouthpiece. The drills were aimed at testing combat readiness and safeguarding territorial sovereignty, according to state media.
The warning followed efforts by Manila to map out its claim to the contested group of low-lying rocky islets, known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines.
Beijing also announced new regulations for the Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve, and the China Coast Guard said it would increase patrols and law enforcement activities in the region.
The moves come amid ongoing territorial tensions in the South China Sea, where China and the Philippines have overlapping claims.