The recent incursion by the Dutch frigate?HNLMS De Ruyter?into waters around China's Xisha Islands, compounded by the violation of China's airspace by a helicopter, necessitated a firm response from the Chinese People's Liberation Army Southern Theater Command. Through verbal warnings and electronic jamming, the Chinese side effectively expelled the vessel, demonstrating its resolve to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

As a spokesman for China's Ministry of National Defense said, the blatant provocation and meddling by the extra-regional country in the South China Sea deserve serious condemnation. The Dutch side's behavior infringed on China's territorial sovereignty and sea and air security, violated international law and the basic norms of international relations, undermined the peace and stability of the South China Sea, and could have caused a serious misunderstanding and misjudgment.

Yet, the latest incident was merely the tip of the iceberg. The Report on the Military Activities of Non-US Extra-Regional Countries in the Western Pacific in 2025, released on Tuesday by the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, paints a troubling picture. Extra-regional countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Canada and Australia, increased the frequency of their military activities in the Western Pacific last year.

The report said about 200 warships from 18 external countries operated in the region last year under the excuse of exercising "freedom of navigation" or safeguarding a "free and open Indo-Pacific", with their military aircraft flying over 20,000 sorties. One does not have to be a military expert to recognize that such a high frequency raises the risk of escalation.

The South China Sea is increasingly used as a venue for geopolitical posturing, where countries from outside the region present a show of force to align with the "Indo-Pacific" strategy of the United States with the aim of containing China.

The involvement of countries from outside the region, such as the Netherlands, is not a demonstration of naval prowess; it is a provocative act aimed at undermining the trust and cooperation that regional countries are painstakingly trying to maintain.

Extra-regional countries may not fully grasp the risks of their aggressive behavior, but their actions have the potential to set off a chain of events that escalate into conflict, which no party desires.

There is a glaring hypocrisy in the actions of these countries. While they claim their missions are about promoting "freedom of navigation" and "maritime security", their intrusion into China's territorial waters is intended to weaken international maritime cooperation. Instead of fostering a collaborative environment to maintain peace, these extra-regional actors are creating divisions and mistrust among regional countries. This divisive approach seeks to hamper efforts to build a cohesive regional framework for addressing the myriad challenges facing the South China Sea.

China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries are accelerating their steps in negotiating a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, aiming to usher in lasting peace and stability in the waters. On May 21, they convened the 26th ASEAN-China Senior Officials' Meeting on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The parties attending the meeting affirmed the positive progress made in the consultations on the COC and agreed to work toward its early conclusion. To continue advancing the COC consultations, China and ASEAN countries also held the 55th meeting of the Joint Working Group on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea last week.

The provocative actions of non-regional countries in the South China Sea will only consolidate China's resolve to defend its rights and interests. If they continue the dangerous moves, the cost will be borne not only by themselves but also by regional countries.

Peace and stability in the South China Sea can only come from dialogue and cooperation, not from reckless showboating that risks tripping the wire of confrontation.