What is the current territorial dispute between China and the Philippines over the Scarborough Shoal?

The territorial dispute involves the Scarborough Shoal, a strategic triangular chain of reefs and rocks that China forcibly seized from the Philippines in 2012. The latest incident marks a significant intensification in this ongoing conflict, with China engaging in provocative military actions against Philippine vessels. This confrontation comes shortly after Australia condemned Beijing for unsafe military conduct in a separate incident involving a Chinese fighter releasing flares near an Australian surveillance aircraft. The tensions highlight China's increasingly aggressive territorial claims in the South China Sea, despite international rulings against these claims.