How the Philippines' public campaign is holding China accountable in the South China Sea

"The Philippine coast guard has recently been working with media organisations to publicise incidents of Chinese aggression (in the disputed waterways), which has had a great effect," said one security expert, during a panel briefing with journalists from the Foreign Press Centre Reporting Tour.

Recent maritime confrontations include an incident in April when a Philippine patrol boat was blocked by a Chinese coast guard vessel near the Philippine-held Second Thomas Shoal, leading to a near-collision in the waters. Notably, journalists were embedded with the routine patrol, capturing the incident on news cameras and providing first-hand evidence of China's actions.

An additional noteworthy aspect of the Philippines' strategy to address China's assertive behavior is the revitalisation of the Hague tribunal ruling in 2016, which declared China's expansive claims over the South China Sea as invalid. By bringing renewed attention to this ruling, the Philippines aims to hold China accountable for its actions and assert its position on the matter.

"The Philippines has recently revived the 2016 arbitral ruling and put it at the centre of this issue, which has been very useful," says another expert on the panel.

To demonstrate its strategy, the Philippines launched a website to mark the seventh anniversary of the South China Sea arbitral tribunal. The website contains key information on the Philippines' victory over Beijing, including documents and maps showing the extent of the country's exclusive economic zone.

China's claims to virtually the entire South China Sea, which overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, have been a major source of contention.

China's formidable military strength has made some reluctant to openly challenge its behaviour. Many states have also adopted a cautious approach, refraining from engaging in public disputes with China out of fear that it could negatively impact their trade and investment relationships.

Within the ASEAN claimant states, conflicting positions on territorial disputes, combined with the loose structure of the association, have also hindered a collective and assertive response to China's encroachment in the disputed waterways.

"ASEAN as a group has not taken a common position," said another expert on the panel. "I’ve noticed that Vietnam has also taken the lead on this particular issue. Other nations, including Malaysia and Indonesia, have been relatively quiet compared to Vietnam. I think Vietnam needs more support from the region and from ASEAN.

In May, Vietnam accused a Chinese survey ship and its escorts of violating its sovereignty, leading to a rare public protest demanding that Beijing remove the vessels from its waters. The ship, reportedly a research vessel, had been operating in Vietnam's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea for almost a month.

"It is probably the most aggressive stance Vietnam has taken among all Southeast Asian countries. It is a positive development," the expert added.