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South China Sea
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South China Sea

South China Sea
South China Sea
The latest news on South China Sea territorial disputes. The contrasting claims have been an ongoing point of contention among several countries including China, Brunei, Vietnam and the Philippines.
LATEST China Science NEWS

Why Chinese team’s flexible organic battery could revolutionise wearables

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Flexible organic materials for batteries are inherently stable and easier to synthesise and recycle. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese gene-editing technique raises prospect of new autism treatments

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The scientists used a new gene-editing tool to correct the mutation in mice. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese scientists may have found battery that could double EVs’ range

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Lithium batteries are essential for electric vehicles, but so far efforts to improve their performance have hit a ceiling. Photo: STR/ AFP

When did our ancient ancestor Homo erectus first arrive in China out of Africa?

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A reconstruction of the Yunxian hominin skulls tested in the latest study. Photo: Xiaobo Feng

‘Father of graphene’ Andre Geim leaves Britain for chair professorship at HKU

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General view of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) campus in Pokfulam. Photo: Dickson Lee
MORE China Science NEWS
The Italian aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi pictured in 2016. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Indonesia is getting an aircraft carrier. The Philippines isn’t. Does it matter?

Indonesia wants to project power. The Philippines wants to deny it. In the South China Sea, one approach may matter more than the other.

Asean

Letters | Asean is not choosing sides, but strategically maximising space

Mainland China

Can China and Philippines ‘swap disputes with cooperation’ in disputed waters?

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Mainland China

Chinese maritime militia in South China Sea hit ‘record high’ in 2025: US report

Deployments averaged 241 vessels per day, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative report says, notes waning role for civilian fishing fleets.

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A vessel identified by the Philippine coastguard as Chinese maritime militia is seen near the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea in February 2025. Photo: AFP
China-South Korea relations

Seoul’s protest seen as reluctance to let US Forces Korea confront China

South Korean complaint highlights growing difficulty in balancing ties with both security ally US and top trading partner China: analyst.

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China's military weapons

China’s 155mm naval gun on test vessel signals boost to amphibious landing power

The weapon – reportedly capable of firing guided munitions – represents a significant upgrade for PLA Navy.

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The Philippines

Art as advocacy: Philippine mural contest adds to South China Sea messaging push

The government-backed drive is the latest in a series of creative campaigns aiming to shape public narrative around the maritime dispute.

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Members of the Philippine Navy take part in a collaborative colouring activity during the launch of the nationwide mural contest on February 10. Photo: Raissa Robles
China-Australia relations

Beijing monitors Australian frigate Toowoomba’s passage through Taiwan Strait

Anzac-class frigate ‘conducted a routine transit through the South China Sea’, Australian defence department says.

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China-Japan relations

What next for China ties as Japan’s Takaichi targets Chinese ‘coercion’?

Japan facing ‘most severe and complex’ security scenario since World War II, prime minister says.

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Japan

Takaichi vows to make Japan ‘strong’, says no to ‘reckless’ fiscal policy

The prime minister said Tokyo was facing ‘the most severe and complex security environment’ since World War II, citing China and Russia.

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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gives her policy speech during the special Diet session in Tokyo on Friday. Photo: AP
The Philippines

US missile deployments in Philippines signal deeper strategic shift in region

Analysts said the move bolsters the First Island Chain strategy and deepens Manila’s role in regional defence planning.

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A US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, fires during the Balikatan joint military exercises at a naval station in Zambales province, northern Philippines, on April 26, 2023. Photo: AP
China’s coastguard

Chinese coastguard reveals growing reliance on drones at Scarborough Shoal

Lunar New Year post gives rare look at the role of uncrewed aircraft in training and operations near disputed South China Sea reef.

The Philippines

‘Knowing your friend’: Japan to join US-Philippines drills for first time

Australia also joins the fray as the US and its allies shift away from simple bilateral deals towards tighter regional security networks.

Asean

Why big power rivalry poses ‘main threat’ to Asean maritime security

Smaller players ‘become pawns’ in a bigger geopolitical game as ‘strategic mistrust among major powers’ grows, Asean leaders say in Munich.

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Chinese coastguard vessels carry out a law enforcement drill in the South China Sea on February 4. Photo: Xinhua
China's military weapons

Why the growing network of American MQ-9 drones is a challenge for China

Reapers can carry out both reconnaissance and strike missions and an increasing number of US allies and partners are buying them.

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The MQ-9 Reaper has been deployed as part of the US military’s surveillance network in the Indo-Pacific. Photo: Reuters
China-Philippines relations

Opinion | Can Manila’s South China Sea strategy of defiance and diplomacy hold?

China and the Philippines are both signalling openness to diplomacy alongside continued military flexing, but this may not be sustainable.

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China’s navy

Why Chinese navy still trails the US in high-stakes game of underwater recovery

PLA Navy risks exposing sensitive technology as factors including more open-sea operations heighten crash risks, military magazine warns.

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China’s military

Xi’s new year greeting reveals PLA Cyberspace Force post in South China Sea

Analyst says deployment signals Chinese military’s cyber warfare capabilities ‘are no longer confined to the mainland’.

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CCTV shows a section of China’s cyberspace force stationed on Fiery Cross Reef. Photo: Xinhua
China-Philippines relations

The Philippines rebukes China over travel ban on Kalayaan officials

Beijing responds to local government declaration that the Chinese ambassador is persona non grata.

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China-Philippines relations

Amid Chinese embassy row, Philippines eyes boosting Spratlys population

Filipino leaders from Kalayaan and Chinese embassy officials in Manila have clashed over entry bans for personnel on either side.

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US-China relations

US establishes new army foothold in Southeast Asia to ‘contain China’: analyst

US deploys new rotational force to Southeast Asian ally, a move experts say is aimed at deterring China and supporting Typhon missile system.

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Members of the US Army Rotational Force-Philippines and the Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia hold a meeting at Camp Aguinaldo in the Philippines on January 12. Photo: Handout
China-Philippines relations

How Manila’s ‘naming and shaming’ challenges Beijing’s South China Sea stance

Analysts say the Philippines’ approach of ‘assertive transparency’ may be wearing thin at home and in the region.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
The Philippines

Leaked letter spotlights Philippines’ South China Sea tug of war

The letter by Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro warns against public exchanges that could narrow the country’s ‘diplomatic space’.

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Challenges and pathways in the South China Sea

Beijing and its neighbours are leveraging new frameworks and diplomacy as they navigate the challenges of their competing claims and ambitions in the contested waters. This three-part series explores the evolving diplomatic and strategic tools being used to reshape the South China Sea in 2026.

The Philippines

The Philippines wants to seal South China Sea code of conduct. Can it deliver?

As 2026 Asean chair, Manila has highlighted its push to finalise within its term a code of conduct covering the contested waters.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
US-China relations

China may overtake US economically, still risk war in Taiwan Strait: survey

Most forecasters expect US military dominance to endure, even as many believe mainland China may try to seize Taiwan within a decade.

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The report surveyed 447 geostrategists and foresight practitioners from government, private-sector, academic and non-profit institutions. Photo: AdobeStock
China Conference: Southeast Asia

Ambassador urges ‘shared prosperity’ in China-Asean ties as protectionism grows

Wang Qing says both sides should uphold multilateralism and oppose external interference, even as Asean members seek trade deals with US.

China's military weapons

China lifts veil on secretive underwater combat vehicle at Saudi defence show

Shipbuilding giant showcases new surface-to-subsurface wet submersible as Beijing eyes buyers in large Middle Eastern market.

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