How did maritime confrontations between China and the Philippines intensify during the early 2020s?

During the early 2020s, maritime confrontations between China and the Philippines intensified significantly as China continued to assert expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea.1

Key factors and events driving this escalation include:

• Aggressive Tactics: Chinese coast guard vessels have increasingly used coercive measures against Philippine ships, including ramming them and deploying high-pressure water cannons. These actions have led to diplomatic friction and concerns regarding the potential for conflict.12
• Territorial Expansion: In 2023, China released a revised map featuring a "10-dash line," which further expanded its claims over the region, including nearly the entirety of the Spratly Islands.1
• Strengthened Alliances: In response to Chinese encroachment on its exclusive economic zone, the Philippines has sought to bolster its security through joint naval drills and strengthened defense partnerships with the United States, Japan, Australia, and India.12
• Diplomatic Standoffs: Philippine leadership has publicly criticized these "coercive" and "aggressive" actions, emphasizing the need to uphold international law, while China maintains that its actions are a restrained response to provocations encouraged by outside powers.1