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.

China's military recently conducted routine patrols in the contested South China Sea, drawing criticism from the Philippines. Meanwhile, the Philippine and Indian navies undertook their first joint sail in this strategically significant area,

Indian Navy warships have begun patrolling areas of the disputed South China Sea with their Philippine counterparts for the first time, Manila’s military said Monday