India and the Philippines jointly patrolled areas of the disputed South China Sea for the first time, staging a high-profile naval exercise in waters over which China claims it has sovereign rights.

India and the Philippines have staged joint naval exercises in the disputed South China Sea for the first time, antagonizing China.

China has issued a stark warning after the Philippines and India completed their first-ever joint naval patrol in the disputed South China Sea, reporting “shadowing” vessels and prompting Beijing’s PLA Southern Theatre Command to declare its forces on high alert.