Philippine-China maritime incidents spike across South China Sea, Luzon Strait

At least six dangerous engagements between Philippine and Chinese forces have occurred since early October across Scarborough Shoal, Second Thomas Shoal, the Spratly Islands, and a new front near the Batanes Islands in the Luzon Strait. The Luzon Strait location, closer to Taipei than Manila, introduces a new geographic dimension to the dispute. The spike indicates heightened enforcement of territorial claims and raises the risk of escalation in a region already marked by friction.