​China has called the recent joint maritime activity of the Philippines and the US in the South China Sea as "provocative", even as it conducted a similar exercise in the contested waters. After the Philippine and US navies held a two-day Maritime Cooperative Activity to bolster regional security and stability in the waters, Wang Wenbin, spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, said what the two countries did would not address the current dispute at sea. "We would like to stress that the US and the Philippines' muscle-flexing, provocative military activities in the South China Sea are not conducive to managing the situation on the sea and handling maritime disputes," Wang said in his regular press briefing on Friday.

Pedrajas, J. (2024, January 6). China says PH-US joint sail in SCS 'provocative'. Manila Bulletin, p. 2.