On August 11, Philippine vessels illegally intruded into the waters near China's Huangyan Dao. Two days later, the US destroyer Higgins illegally intruded into 
the territorial waters of China's Huangyan Dao. Both actions were controlled and countered by China.

Yang Xiao, researcher at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) noted that the Marcos government has gained no economic or trade tariff benefits from the United States. To secure US security support, it has escalated South China Sea provocations as a “blood money” offering.

Yang concluded that this fundamentally betrays Philippine national and people’s interests, severely disrupts regional security, and signals the authorities’determination to undermine regional peace and prosperity. China and other South China Sea neighbors will not accept this, nor allow such reckless actions to continue.