https://www.scmp.com/rss/322655/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Mengzhen Liu Mengzhen Liu The decades-long negotiations on a code of conduct in the South China Sea may finally come to an end this year. Several parties involved, including China and the Philippines, have expressed confidence in reaching a final conclusion to the proposed set of rules in the contested waterways in the coming months. In March, Beijing signalled its hope of concluding negotiations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations by the end of the year while Manila has repeatedly expressed its intention to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349697/without-restraint-beijing-and-manila-cant-deliver-south-china-sea-code?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349697/without-restraint-beijing-and-manila-cant-deliver-south-china-sea-code?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:30:10 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen China and the Philippines may soon start joint coastguard patrols in the South China Sea after years of tensions over the disputed waters, according to a Philippine senator. Erwin Tulfo, chairman of the Senate’s foreign relations committee, met Chinese ambassador Jing Quan on Monday, and said afterwards that the two countries’ coastguards were expected to sign a memorandum of agreement by the end of March. He added that rather than “having disputes there … there will be cooperation”, such as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344626/can-china-and-philippines-replace-disputes-cooperation-after-years-tension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3344626/can-china-and-philippines-replace-disputes-cooperation-after-years-tension?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:26:30 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou China and the Philippines have again exchanged barbs over confrontations in the disputed South China Sea, with each accusing the other of provocation and escalating tensions. The Chinese embassy in the Philippines on Tuesday said a statement the day before by the National Maritime Council – a government body created by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in 2024 to address the nation’s maritime challenges – was “unfounded and misleading”. It accused Manila of “provoking trouble and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339766/south-china-sea-claims-coercion-deception-beijing-and-manila-wage-new-war-words?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3339766/south-china-sea-claims-coercion-deception-beijing-and-manila-wage-new-war-words?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 12:06:07 +0000 Laura Zhou,Fan Chen Laura Zhou,Fan Chen China is willing to work with Southeast Asian countries to manage maritime disputes in the South China Sea and build a fair and just maritime order, a senior Chinese diplomat has said. Speaking in Sanya on the southern island province of Hainan, Sun Weidong, the vice-minister of foreign affairs, also hit out at the recent remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who suggested last month that an attack on Taiwan by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) might qualify as a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335903/south-china-sea-beijing-says-it-seeks-ease-disputes-asean-over-waterway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335903/south-china-sea-beijing-says-it-seeks-ease-disputes-asean-over-waterway?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:03:12 +0000 Lucio Blanco Pitlo III Lucio Blanco Pitlo III China’s plan to designate the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea as a national marine nature reserve has drawn strong objections from the Philippines. The timing of the move hints at Beijing’s growing discontent with its neighbour’s policies, notably Manila’s move to normalise the presence of foreign navies in the region and its warming ties with Taiwan. To many, China’s latest ploy is a fresh attempt to change the facts on the ground, using environmental rhetoric to consolidate... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3326166/will-chinas-marine-reserve-gambit-push-philippines-breaking-point?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3326166/will-chinas-marine-reserve-gambit-push-philippines-breaking-point?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Sep 2025 06:00:22 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Beijing is on high alert for New Delhi’s involvement in South China Sea disputes after the first-ever joint patrol between India and the Philippines in the strategically important waters, which observers say may further complicate relations between India and China. The assessment was made as Indian and Philippine navies on Monday wrapped up their maritime cooperative activity (MCA), which coincided with a state visit by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr to India. The MCA involved three... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320806/china-high-alert-south-china-sea-disruption-after-philippine-india-patrol-pla?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320806/china-high-alert-south-china-sea-disruption-after-philippine-india-patrol-pla?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 08:10:50 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem The South China Sea is about to become more militarised as the United States commits to deploying cutting-edge missile and drone systems in the Philippines. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the move during high-level talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr on Monday US time, signalling Washington’s push to create a “strong shield of real deterrence” against growing Chinese influence and prepare for potential crisis scenarios. The new weapons would form part of a broader... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319250/will-more-us-missiles-philippines-deter-or-provoke-south-china-sea-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3319250/will-more-us-missiles-philippines-deter-or-provoke-south-china-sea-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jul 2025 07:13:38 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen Beijing has warned Chinese students planning to study in the Philippines of safety risks for Chinese nationals, amid tensions over the South China Sea. In a statement on Friday, China’s Ministry of Education urged students to “carefully assess security risks” and “strengthen safety awareness” before heading to the Southeast Asian country. “Recently, public security in the Philippines has been unstable, with frequent crimes targeting Chinese citizens. The Ministry of Education reminds all... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318691/amid-south-china-sea-dispute-china-warns-students-beware-safety-risks-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3318691/amid-south-china-sea-dispute-china-warns-students-beware-safety-risks-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 07:00:10 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Chinese and Philippine vessels have clashed again in the South China Sea, with Beijing saying its coastguard used a water cannon to expel a Philippine government vessel near Scarborough Shoal on Friday. China Coast Guard spokesman Liu Dejun said on Friday afternoon that Philippine vessel 3006 had “ignored repeated warnings and insistently intruded” into Chinese waters near the strategic shoal. In response, the China Coast Guard used standard enforcement measures, including verbal warnings, close... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315181/south-china-sea-china-coast-guard-uses-water-cannon-expel-philippine-vessel-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315181/south-china-sea-china-coast-guard-uses-water-cannon-expel-philippine-vessel-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jun 2025 06:14:36 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippines has a strong chance of gaining a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), according to observers. Manila has renewed its bid, with its foreign secretary stressing the country’s track record as a “pathfinder and peacemaker”. Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo reiterated the Philippines’ UN aspirations in a speech in New York earlier this week to more than 300 diplomats and guests at his country’s Independence Day celebrations. He pointed to the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3315033/why-un-security-council-seat-so-important-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3315033/why-un-security-council-seat-so-important-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jun 2025 06:55:25 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s recent call to Filipino-Chinese businessmen to boost Manila’s bilateral ties with Beijing has raised the possibility that the Philippine leader is softening his stance on China. However, while the president’s sudden pivot could signal a recalibration of his approach, observers say the move is unlikely to yield any results in the near term because of his earlier hardline policy, including a statement earlier this month by his defence chief at a major security... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3314127/philippines-marcos-softens-stance-amid-economic-pressures-will-china-bite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3314127/philippines-marcos-softens-stance-amid-economic-pressures-will-china-bite?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Jun 2025 08:02:34 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent Southeast Asian tour has put the South China Sea – a simmering cauldron of territorial and maritime disputes – back into focus. Amid joint statements brimming with diplomatic finesse, Beijing is sending a clear message: it seeks to manage tensions and not escalate them while keeping its strategic compass firmly pointed towards cooperation and regional stability. The statements – issued alongside Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur – emphasise peaceful dispute resolution,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3307310/beijings-approach-south-china-sea-tensions-reduce-now-resolve-later?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3307310/beijings-approach-south-china-sea-tensions-reduce-now-resolve-later?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Apr 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent Southeast Asian tour has put the South China Sea – a simmering cauldron of territorial and maritime disputes – back into focus. Amid joint statements brimming with diplomatic finesse, Beijing is sending a clear message: it seeks to manage tensions and not escalate them while keeping its strategic compass firmly pointed towards cooperation and regional stability. The statements – issued alongside Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur – emphasise peaceful dispute resolution,... https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3307405/xis-approach-south-china-sea-tensions-reduce-now-resolve-later?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/article/3307405/xis-approach-south-china-sea-tensions-reduce-now-resolve-later?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Apr 2025 07:06:46 +0000 For nearly 30 years, China and Southeast Asian nations have wrestled to craft a set of rules to tame persistent tensions in the South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest and most contested waterways. China’s top diplomat Wang Yi declared a milestone last month when announcing the completion of the third reading of the long-awaited Code of Conduct (COC), adding to hopes that Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship this year could speed up the protracted negotiations ahead of a 2026 deadline. However,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3305473/beijing-declared-milestone-south-china-sea-code-conduct-it-progress-or-tactic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3305473/beijing-declared-milestone-south-china-sea-code-conduct-it-progress-or-tactic?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Apr 2025 01:00:14 +0000 China’s military said it had expelled three Philippine aircraft from the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea on Thursday, marking the latest in a series of dangerous aerial encounters amid heightened bilateral tensions. “On February 20, two Philippine C-208 aircraft and one N-22 aircraft illegally entered the airspace near China’s Nansha Islands [China’s name for the Spratlys],” said Senior Colonel Tian Junli, a spokesman for the People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command, on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3299586/south-china-sea-chinese-military-says-3-philippine-aircraft-expelled-spratly-islands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3299586/south-china-sea-chinese-military-says-3-philippine-aircraft-expelled-spratly-islands?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Feb 2025 07:00:10 +0000 The US has accused China of “unsafe and irresponsible” action during a close encounter between a PLA helicopter and a Philippine plane over the South China Sea on Tuesday. In a statement on Wednesday, Washington also pledged continued support for American allies to ensure a “free and open Indo-Pacific”. “The United States stands with its ally the Philippines to condemn the unsafe and irresponsible actions by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army-Navy to interfere with a Philippine maritime air... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3299413/unsafe-and-irresponsible-us-weighs-china-philippines-aerial-encounter-over-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3299413/unsafe-and-irresponsible-us-weighs-china-philippines-aerial-encounter-over-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Feb 2025 06:56:19 +0000 Armed with “more diverse tools”, Beijing will not sit idle this time if Manila launches a second high-profile arbitration case against Beijing over the South China Sea, according to a leading Chinese maritime expert. The Philippines is considering another legal challenge against Beijing over the disputed waterway. One option is for the Philippines to sue China for the alleged extraction of giant clams and substantial ecological harm to coral reefs within Manila’s exclusive economic zone. In an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3299096/china-ensure-cost-outweighs-gains-if-manila-launches-new-south-china-sea-case-expert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3299096/china-ensure-cost-outweighs-gains-if-manila-launches-new-south-china-sea-case-expert?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Feb 2025 04:47:20 +0000 The Philippines is reportedly planning to file a new arbitration case before the United Nations regarding its maritime conflict with China, but analysts have questioned the necessity of the move, pointing to existing issues in a 2016 ruling that Beijing rejected. They argue that Manila should have taken immediate steps to clearly define boundaries after its tribunal victory, instead of letting Beijing set the terms in the disputed South China Sea. Andres Centino, the Presidential Assistant on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3291014/south-china-sea-why-philippines-new-legal-case-against-beijing-may-fall-flat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3291014/south-china-sea-why-philippines-new-legal-case-against-beijing-may-fall-flat?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Dec 2024 09:02:38 +0000 China has submitted a copy of the geographic coordinates and nautical charts for sea territory surrounding Scarborough Shoal with the United Nations, a move experts said followed international practice but could be challenged by the US’ incoming Trump administration. On Monday, Geng Shuang, China’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, submitted the statement regarding the announced baselines to the UN, which will publish the declaration and the charts on its website, according to a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3289219/south-china-sea-beijing-submits-scarborough-shoal-baseline-documents-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3289219/south-china-sea-beijing-submits-scarborough-shoal-baseline-documents-un?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Dec 2024 00:00:17 +0000 China’s military announced on Thursday it had stepped up patrols of a disputed South China Sea reef amid mounting tension with the Philippines and the United States. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theatre Command, which oversees the South China Sea, said that naval and air forces conducted a “combat-ready vigilance patrol” over the surrounding waters and airspace of Scarborough Shoal in addition to patrols earlier this month. “Since November, the theatre has organised naval and air... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3288565/south-china-sea-chinese-military-says-reef-patrols-stepped-amid-tension-manila?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3288565/south-china-sea-chinese-military-says-reef-patrols-stepped-amid-tension-manila?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Nov 2024 13:26:03 +0000 A Chinese analyst of the South China Sea has warned of more trouble at sea after revelations about the involvement of a US special task force at a disputed shoal. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin last week confirmed the deployment of Task Force Ayungin, a special operations unit named after the Philippine word for Second Thomas Shoal – a flashpoint in Manila’s maritime conflict with Beijing. It was the latest example of the US “fanning the flames” and fuelling the fight in the disputed waters,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3288402/chinese-analyst-forecasts-more-troubles-sea-after-us-philippine-task-force-revealed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3288402/chinese-analyst-forecasts-more-troubles-sea-after-us-philippine-task-force-revealed?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Nov 2024 02:00:14 +0000 A Chinese researcher told a forum on Tuesday that the unilateral action of “certain countries” was raising tensions in the South China Sea, while Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing was willing to work with its neighbours to manage their maritime disputes. Wang also warned that any attempt to violate another country’s sovereign rights and interests without regard to “the basic facts” would end in failure. China’s top diplomat made the remarks in a pre-recorded video address to the Symposium on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3288151/china-says-it-wants-work-neighbours-negotiate-and-resolve-maritime-disputes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3288151/china-says-it-wants-work-neighbours-negotiate-and-resolve-maritime-disputes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Nov 2024 06:00:33 +0000 The deployment of American troops to aid the Philippines in the South China Sea may be a nod to Washington’s commitment to Manila, and might fend off further assertions from China in the disputed waterway, according to analysts. But they said the move would also harden perceptions in China that the United States was “deeply” involved in the territorial disputes between the two neighbours, and warned there might be harsh response from Beijing. On Tuesday while in the Philippines, US Defence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3287763/south-china-sea-us-troop-aid-may-reassure-philippines-will-prod-china-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3287763/south-china-sea-us-troop-aid-may-reassure-philippines-will-prod-china-analysts-say?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Nov 2024 13:00:18 +0000 Beijing has called for Manila to work with it and “jointly manage the maritime situation” after China allowed supplies to be sent to a Philippine warship grounded at a disputed South China Sea shoal on Thursday. A China Coast Guard spokesman said China “inquired, confirmed and monitored” a civilian ship sent by the Philippines to take necessities to its Sierra Madre warship – which Beijing says is illegally beached at Second Thomas Shoal known as Renai Jiao in China and Ayungin Shoal in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3286716/china-uses-resupply-philippine-warship-call-manilas-help-managing-shoal-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3286716/china-uses-resupply-philippine-warship-call-manilas-help-managing-shoal-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Nov 2024 07:08:15 +0000 The Chinese coastguard patrolled around a contested South China Sea shoal on Thursday, a day after the country’s military mounted a joint sea and air patrol in the area. “The China Coast Guard conducted law enforcement patrols in the territorial waters of China’s Huangyan Island and the surrounding area,” the China Coast Guard said, referring to Scarborough Shoal, known as Panatag Shoal in the Philippines “This was a law-enforcement activity carried out by the Chinese maritime police in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3286536/chinas-coastguard-circles-scarborough-shoal-after-philippines-stakes-its-legislative-claim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3286536/chinas-coastguard-circles-scarborough-shoal-after-philippines-stakes-its-legislative-claim?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Nov 2024 07:13:33 +0000 The Chinese military conducted a joint sea and air patrol around Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday as tensions continued to simmer with the Philippines in the South China Sea. The Southern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army said the patrol activities were “carried out in accordance with the law”. Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines, is claimed by both Beijing and Manila and has been effectively controlled by China since an intense... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3286355/chinese-military-conducts-sea-and-air-patrol-around-shoal-amid-tension-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3286355/chinese-military-conducts-sea-and-air-patrol-around-shoal-amid-tension-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Nov 2024 05:28:25 +0000 Out in the South China Sea, where waves crash against the shores of contested islands, the Philippines is advancing a military strategy to assert its sovereignty over a region where Beijing’s territorial ambitions grow bolder. At the centre of Manila’s strategy is the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defence Concept (CADC), a sweeping initiative aimed at enhancing military capabilities and fortifying maritime borders. The plan is ambitious, encompassing upgrades to crucial infrastructure and a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3283913/philippines-strengthens-south-china-sea-strategy-us56-million-thitu-island-upgrade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3283913/philippines-strengthens-south-china-sea-strategy-us56-million-thitu-island-upgrade?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2024 06:00:14 +0000 Sitting 100km (62 miles) off the coast of Malaysia’s Sarawak state, the Luconia Shoals have become yet another source of tension in the South China Sea between Beijing and its neighbours. The shoals are off the northwestern coast of Borneo and fall well within Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), giving Kuala Lumpur exclusive sovereign rights over the natural resources. But China objects to Malaysia’s exploration activities based on its “nine-dash line” claim of sovereignty over the Spratly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3280575/who-winning-fight-south-china-seas-resources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3280575/who-winning-fight-south-china-seas-resources?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Oct 2024 01:00:12 +0000 The Philippine Navy on Tuesday said the number of Chinese ships in the West Philippine Sea – an area in the South China Sea the Philippines claims as its territorial waters – reached a record high for this year at 251. This is the highest concentration of Chinese ships in the West Philippine Sea so far this year, Philippine Navy spokesman Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a press briefing. Trinidad said 28 Chinese coastguard ships, 16 People’s Liberation Army Navy warships, 204 Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3279781/south-china-sea-philippines-says-record-251-chinese-ships-spotted-its-waters-one-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3279781/south-china-sea-philippines-says-record-251-chinese-ships-spotted-its-waters-one-week?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Sep 2024 10:15:17 +0000 The Philippines’ recent withdrawal of a coastguard vessel from a disputed South China Sea shoal opens the door for China to further assert its dominance and potentially accelerate its controversial reclamation operations, analysts say – warning that the ship needs to be quickly replaced. Manila recalled the BRP Teresa Magbanua from Sabina Shoal over the weekend after a five-month deployment, citing bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3278652/chinas-opportunity-philippines-sabina-shoal-withdrawal-sparks-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3278652/chinas-opportunity-philippines-sabina-shoal-withdrawal-sparks-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Sep 2024 04:00:09 +0000 The Philippines has accused China of “firing flares” as close as 15 metres (49 feet) away from one of its patrol aircraft, in the latest military confrontation between the two countries in the South China Sea. According to a statement from Manila’s National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea on Saturday, a Chinese fighter jet “engaged in irresponsible and dangerous manoeuvres” on Monday, as a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources plane made a “maritime domain awareness flight”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3275772/philippines-accuses-china-firing-flares-dangerous-move-near-scarborough-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3275772/philippines-accuses-china-firing-flares-dangerous-move-near-scarborough-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Aug 2024 10:47:12 +0000 Filipinos are increasingly being blocked from their traditional fishing grounds at Scarborough Shoal by Beijing’s enforcement of its territorial claims in the South China Sea, with new restrictions and aggressive patrolling creating a potential flashpoint over fishing rights and national sovereignty. The New Masinloc Fishermen’s Association in the town of Masinloc in Zambales said its members had been unable to get closer to Scarborough Shoal ever since the Chinese coastguard began enforcing an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3275375/south-china-sea-filipinos-blocked-scarborough-shoal-amid-concerns-over-fishing-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3275375/south-china-sea-filipinos-blocked-scarborough-shoal-amid-concerns-over-fishing-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2024 04:00:10 +0000 A Vietnamese navy frigate arrived in southern China on Wednesday for a five-day visit amid mounting military posturing and tensions in the disputed South China Sea. The Vietnam People’s Navy’s guided-missile frigate 015 Tran Hung Dao arrived at a naval port in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, on Wednesday, according to the Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command. Zhanjiang hosts the headquarters of the Southern Theatre Command Navy that oversees the South China Sea, the strategic and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3273688/south-china-sea-vietnamese-navy-frigate-visits-china-amid-flurry-drills-waterway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3273688/south-china-sea-vietnamese-navy-frigate-visits-china-amid-flurry-drills-waterway?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Aug 2024 05:58:15 +0000 The Chinese military conducted a joint sea and air patrol around the disputed Scarborough Shoal on Wednesday amid continuing tensions in the South China Sea. The Southern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army said Wednesday’s patrol “aimed to test the theatre troops’ capacities in reconnaissance, early warning, rapid mobility and joint strikes”. “All military activities that disrupt the situation in the South China Sea, create hotspots and undermine regional peace and stability, are... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3273522/south-china-sea-chinese-military-hold-joint-patrol-around-contested-scarborough-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3273522/south-china-sea-chinese-military-hold-joint-patrol-around-contested-scarborough-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Aug 2024 05:32:51 +0000 Beijing should set a definitive time frame for Manila to withdraw from Second Thomas Shoal, a move that would be a big step towards ending the long-standing “cat-and-mouse game” over the contentious submerged reef, a leading Chinese maritime expert said. Describing persistent confrontation over the shoal as “a bleeding wound”, Wu Shicun, founder of the Hainan-based National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told Chinese news outlet Guancha there was an urgent need to conclusively settle... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3270758/south-china-sea-beijing-urged-create-deadline-philippines-withdraw-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3270758/south-china-sea-beijing-urged-create-deadline-philippines-withdraw-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Jul 2024 05:59:41 +0000 A Philippine expert on international maritime law has urged Manila to invite Hanoi to join a new arbitration case, this time to question China’s unilaterally imposed fishing curbs in Scarborough Shoal. Former Supreme Court judge Antonio Carpio made the appeal on Friday to foreign envoys, including a representative from the Vietnam embassy, local and foreign businessmen, scholars, senior military and government officials. They were gathered to commemorate the eighth anniversary of the arbitral... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3270465/south-china-sea-philippines-vietnam-urged-file-joint-arbitration-fishing-rights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3270465/south-china-sea-philippines-vietnam-urged-file-joint-arbitration-fishing-rights?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jul 2024 06:45:22 +0000 Soon after his landslide victory in 2022, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr vowed not to allow “a single millimetre” of the nation’s coastal rights to be “trampled upon”. Crucially, he invoked the “very important” 2016 Hague ruling which rejected the bulk of China’s expansive claims over the South China Sea. “We will use it to continue to assert our territorial rights. It is not a claim. It is already our territorial right,” he said, emphasising the final and binding nature of the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3269978/south-china-sea-marcos-has-resisted-drastic-moves-so-far-how-long?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3269978/south-china-sea-marcos-has-resisted-drastic-moves-so-far-how-long?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jul 2024 21:30:09 +0000 Recent skirmishes in the disputed South China Sea show that Beijing has begun deploying “darker grey” tactics, analysts say, taking more aggressive actions without crossing the threshold for armed conflict. Observers point to the June 17 clash between China coastguard (CCG) personnel and Philippine Navy officers at the Second Thomas Shoal, which led to a Filipino officer losing a thumb, as a pivotal turning point in the conflict between Manila and Beijing over their overlapping maritime... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3270237/philippines-tenterhooks-china-deploys-darker-grey-tactics-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3270237/philippines-tenterhooks-china-deploys-darker-grey-tactics-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jul 2024 08:52:16 +0000 China has hit out at the Philippines, accusing it of “deliberately misleading” the international community over their latest squabble in the South China Sea in which Philippine forces claimed Chinese vessels tried to block the evacuation of a sick soldier. In a statement on Tuesday, China Coast Guard said it had allowed the Philippines to evacuate an ill person from an “illegally grounded warship” under “humanitarian considerations” and had “monitored and verified” their actions in accordance... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3269876/china-rebukes-philippines-denies-blocking-medical-evacuation-second-thomas-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3269876/china-rebukes-philippines-denies-blocking-medical-evacuation-second-thomas-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jul 2024 05:42:40 +0000 Despite pledges to de-escalate tensions in the South China Sea, analysts and sources familiar with Beijing and Manila’s negotiations allege that China is exploiting the bilateral talks as a strategy to legitimise its control over disputed maritime territory in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. Following the latest round of the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea, held in Manila on July 2, the Philippine government acknowledged that “significant... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3269649/south-china-sea-beijing-abusing-philippines-talks-mask-its-policy-aggression?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3269649/south-china-sea-beijing-abusing-philippines-talks-mask-its-policy-aggression?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Jul 2024 00:00:15 +0000 Filipino soldiers who reportedly used their bare hands to fight off Chinese coastguards armed with swords and knives were awarded medals by the Philippines for de-escalating tensions. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr bestowed the Order of Lapu-Lapu on 80 soldiers on Sunday, according to the Manila Bulletin. “I salute the 80 officers and troops who sailed the waters and exercised the greatest restraint amid intense provocation,” he said, adding: “You demonstrated to the world that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3268031/south-china-sea-filipino-troops-who-fought-axe-wielding-chinese-coastguards-get-medals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3268031/south-china-sea-filipino-troops-who-fought-axe-wielding-chinese-coastguards-get-medals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jun 2024 01:13:24 +0000 The People’s Liberation Army has conducted drills in the South China Sea featuring landing ships amid tensions over disputed islands with the Philippines. A naval task force comprising landing ships Danxiashan, Laotieshan and Lushan conducted an all-weather full-course combat exercise over four days in the South China Sea, according to a report by CCTV on Saturday. The state broadcaster only said the drills were carried out “recently” and did not specify when they took place. Training tasks... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3267853/south-china-sea-pla-tests-its-landing-ships-amid-tension-philippines-over-islands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3267853/south-china-sea-pla-tests-its-landing-ships-amid-tension-philippines-over-islands?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jun 2024 12:00:17 +0000 A former chief justice in the Philippines has suggested that the government replace a military outpost in the South China Sea with a civilian structure to ensure a legal advantage for Manila to file a tribunal complaint against Chinese interference. The proposal is among several suggestions by Antonio Carpio, a former Supreme Court judge, following one of the most controversial clashes between Manila and Beijing in the Second Thomas Shoal, where Philippine troops are stationed on a grounded... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3267505/south-china-sea-philippines-advised-stake-claim-disputed-shoal-civilian-site?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3267505/south-china-sea-philippines-advised-stake-claim-disputed-shoal-civilian-site?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2024 07:02:08 +0000 A Philippine ship and a Chinese vessel collided after the former “illegally entered” waters near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal and “dangerously approached” the latter, China’s coastguard said on Monday. The incident took place early on Monday morning during the Philippines’ latest resupply mission to a grounded navy vessel on the shoal, an atoll in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea that is claimed by both Beijing and Manila. “The Philippine supply ship ignored multiple stern warnings... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3266867/south-china-sea-china-blames-philippines-ships-collide-second-thomas-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3266867/south-china-sea-china-blames-philippines-ships-collide-second-thomas-shoal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jun 2024 04:59:32 +0000 Backchannel efforts are under way between Manila and Beijing to find a way to resolve the territorial dispute in the South China Sea, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has said ahead of his keynote speech at Asia’s top defence summit held in Singapore. “You should try everything. You don’t know what effort is going to be successful,” he said on Wednesday in Brunei, en route to Singapore where he is expected to speak at the Shangri-La Dialogue about the Philippines’ efforts to resolve the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3264762/south-china-sea-manila-beijing-tap-backchannel-efforts-resolve-disputes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3264762/south-china-sea-manila-beijing-tap-backchannel-efforts-resolve-disputes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 May 2024 00:00:18 +0000 The Philippines could hit back at Chinese arrests in the South China Sea by referring cases to an international tribunal, according to a law expert responding to reports that China’s coastguard will detain foreigners accused of maritime border violations from next month. Former Philippine Supreme Court judge Antonio Carpio cited the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (Itlos) on Sunday as he proposed a counter to Chinese actions amid a growing war of words over the disputed waterway.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3263323/south-china-sea-philippines-may-be-forced-sue-if-chinese-coastguard-arrests-trespassers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3263323/south-china-sea-philippines-may-be-forced-sue-if-chinese-coastguard-arrests-trespassers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 May 2024 07:00:38 +0000 A civilian group from the Philippines will continue its resupply mission to Filipino fishermen in the Scarborough Shoal, even in light of US reports of China sending a huge blockade to thwart the effort, in a latest move that could signal yet another flashpoint in the disputed South China Sea. The group’s mission on Wednesday will be its second attempt at resupplying the fishermen. Last December, the group tried to deliver supplies and Christmas gifts to Filipino troops stationed aboard the BRP... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3262661/philippine-civilian-group-continue-scarborough-shoal-resupply-mission-despite-talk-chinese-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3262661/philippine-civilian-group-continue-scarborough-shoal-resupply-mission-despite-talk-chinese-blockade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 May 2024 10:40:10 +0000 China’s coastguard appears to be conducting regular life-saving training to cement its presence at a contested South China Sea shoal, saying it has “normalised” the exercises to ensure the safety of Chinese fishing boats in the area. The announcement of the routine training near Scarborough Shoal comes as a civilian-led mission from the Philippines prepares to sail to the South China Sea to assert Philippine rights in the waters. In a statement on Monday, China Coast Guard said it had carried... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3262465/south-china-sea-chinese-coastguard-says-it-led-normalised-safety-training-contested-scarborough?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3262465/south-china-sea-chinese-coastguard-says-it-led-normalised-safety-training-contested-scarborough?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 May 2024 08:00:49 +0000 Philippine government officials have denied that they made an agreement with China to follow a “new model” of behaviour to ease tensions over the Second Thomas Shoal, a contested maritime area in the South China Sea that has been the centre of numerous confrontations between the two nations. Department of National Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr and the president’s national security adviser Eduardo M. Año denied that the Philippines made the agreement in separate statements on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3261638/south-china-sea-philippines-did-not-agree-new-model-manage-second-thomas-shoal-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3261638/south-china-sea-philippines-did-not-agree-new-model-manage-second-thomas-shoal-officials-say?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 May 2024 14:20:57 +0000 US and Chinese navy chiefs have met for talks during a naval forum in northeast China amid tensions in the South China Sea. Admiral Stephen Koehler, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, met Admiral Yuan Huazhi, political commissar of the People’s Liberation Army Navy, at the 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium in Qingdao on Tuesday. Koehler met Yuan to discuss “increasing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific”, according to a statement from the US Pacific Fleet which provides naval forces to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3260211/south-china-sea-amid-tension-us-and-chinese-navy-chiefs-discuss-increasing-security-challenges-indo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3260211/south-china-sea-amid-tension-us-and-chinese-navy-chiefs-discuss-increasing-security-challenges-indo?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Apr 2024 09:47:40 +0000