From February 2 to 6, a large-scale confrontation unfolded in the South China Sea!\nFirst, on the 2nd, the Philippines and the United States conducted live-fire exercises at the Ernesto Rabina Air Base in Tarlac City, northern Luzon. The Philippines deployed its main light fighter FA-50PH, while the U.S. sent the B-52 strategic bomber—although this model is old, it has a long range and a large payload, and is often used by the U.S. military for 'strategic deterrence.' Live-fire exercises carry strong implications of real combat; they are not simulations but actual bombing.\nBy the 4th, both sides moved the stage to the airspace over the South China Sea to conduct the so-called 'air defense scenario' drills. This sounds like a defensive subject, but in conjunction with the geographical location, it is not that simple. The exercise airspace is close to Scarborough Shoal, which has been under the effective control of China since 2012 and is a key node in the South China Sea disputes. Simulating 'defense' in this area is essentially a challenge to the status quo.\nThe climax occurred on the 6th: B-52 and FA-50PH formed a formation to conduct joint patrols between the South China Sea and the Luzon Strait. The U.S. particularly emphasized that this action achieved 'joint mission planning, airspace coordination, and operational response'—in other words, this was not a makeshift show, but a well-coordinated semi-combat operation. More notably, this action was supported by the U.S. Special Operations Command Pacific and the Marine Corps Forces Pacific, indicating that it was not just an air force unilateral action but part of a multi-service joint operation.\nIn response to this series of actions, China quickly reacted. The Southern Theater Command clearly stated that from the 2nd to the 6th, Chinese naval and air forces conducted 'routine patrols' in the South China Sea—however, the term 'routine' hides highly targeted deployments. It is speculated that during those days, a large number of destroyers and frigates must have been deployed to operate around Scarborough Shoal, while heavy fighters like the J-16 and H-6K frequently took to the skies to carry out monitoring and interception tasks.\nThe B-52 represents the deterrence of the U.S. long-range strike capability, while the J-16 dispatched by China possesses beyond-visual-range strike and electronic warfare capabilities, fully capable of locking onto and even suppressing the B-52 before it launches long-range missiles. Presumably, the U.S. military envisions treating China as a role that can be easily bullied like Venezuela, waiting for the B-52H to easily launch missiles. But the question is, how is that even possible?