China will conduct a military drill in the South China Sea next Monday and Tuesday as tensions in the region continue to rise. The China Maritime Safety Administration issued a notice on Friday afternoon, saying an area between China’s southernmost province Hainan and the Paracel Islands will be closed to marine traffic due to military training. The previous day the Philippine military sent more warships to carry out “sovereignty patrols” in the South China Sea, where Chinese vessels have surrounded the disputed Whitsun Reef and refused to leave. The Chinese government insisted the ships were fishing vessels taking shelter, while the Philippine side described them as militia. “This exercise would invariably contribute to tensions. Though the current situation appears calm as all sides maintain restraint, there’s no guarantee this could remain the case,” said Dr Collin Koh, a Research Fellow from RSIS. “I believe the Chinese might be signalling their intent to respond – or more precisely, to escalate their response – if Filipino or other foreign direct action is undertaken against the boats in the reef. So it’s a signal aimed at deterring the Filipinos and by extension, the Americans as well should the latter attempt to intervene.”