Passengers aboard a Philippine Coast Guard aircraft approaching Thitu Island in the Spratly Islands received a mobile network welcome message identifying their location as “CHINA” on February 22, 2026, according to sources within the Philippine government. The incident underscores escalating tensions in the South China Sea, where China asserts expansive territorial claims despite a 2016 international tribunal ruling rejecting those claims.
The message, received as the aircraft descended for landing at the Philippine outpost, represents a new dimension in China’s efforts to assert control over the disputed waters. Thitu Island, known as Pag-asa in the Philippines and Zhongye Island in China, is the largest of nine islands, islets, and reefs inhabited by Philippine forces in the Spratly Islands and hosts a minor fishing community. The Philippine Coast Guard regularly resupplies personnel and residents on the island.
Recent confrontations between the Philippine and Chinese coast guards have been increasing in frequency and intensity. In October 2025, the Philippines accused China of deliberately ramming a Philippine government vessel, the BRP Datu Pagbuaya, near Thitu Island, causing minor damage. China countered by blaming the Philippines for the collision, alleging that the Philippine vessel had approached its ship in a dangerous manner. During that incident, the Chinese Coast Guard as well fired a water cannon at the Philippine vessel, according to the Philippine Coast Guard statement released at the time.
The latest incident follows a pattern of harassment reported by the Philippine Coast Guard. In October 2025, the Philippine Coast Guard was resupplying fishermen in the South China Sea when it experienced harassment from Chinese vessels, as reported by the U.S. Naval Institute News. More recently, on February 18, 2026, a video surfaced showing the Chinese Coast Guard observing the Philippine Coast Guard discarding objects in the South China Sea, raising questions about the nature of those objects and the intent behind the observation.
Despite these tensions, there have also been instances of cooperation. In January 2026, the Chinese Coast Guard rescued 17 Filipino sailors near Scarborough Shoal after their cargo ship capsized. Two sailors died, and one remains hospitalized. The vessel, a Singaporean-flagged cargo ship carrying iron ore to Yangjiang, China, capsized approximately 55 nautical miles northwest of Scarborough Shoal, which China seized from the Philippines in 2012. China deployed two coast guard vessels and an aircraft for the rescue operation, while the Philippines also dispatched two vessels and two aircraft.
The South China Sea remains a significant geopolitical flashpoint, with conflicting claims from the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Brunei, in addition to China’s sweeping assertions of sovereignty. As of February 23, 2026, no official statement has been released by the Chinese government regarding the “Welcome to CHINA” message received by passengers on the Philippine Coast Guard aircraft. The Philippine government has not announced any immediate diplomatic response.
