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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

Smells like popcorn: Chinese scientists’ gene-edited tomato offers aroma tweak

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China produces more than a third of the world’s tomatoes. Photo: Shutterstock

Chen Mo – the man behind Heroes of Jin Yong – on AI and making a blockbuster game

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A still from the upcoming martial arts title, Heroes of Jin Yong, which is on track to be the most expensive video game ever made in China. Photo: Handout

EU bans Chinese organisations from critical tech programmes, including AI, chips

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The EU has barred most organisations based in China from applying for its Horizon Europe grants in “critical areas”. Image: Shutterstock

How China’s Yangtze River fishing ban is also helping finless porpoise recover

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Overall fish biomass in the Yangtze River has risen by 209 per cent compared with pre-2021 levels, while species richness increased by 13 per cent, a study has found. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese scientists create new battery with electrolyte as safe as tofu brine

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Chinese scientists are working on a green-friendly and safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries which have been known to explode and cause fires. Photo: Getty Images
MORE China Science NEWS
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
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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China-Australia relations

Beijing monitors Australian frigate Toowoomba’s passage through Taiwan Strait

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China-Japan relations

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

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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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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.

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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.

Japanese troops take position during a joint military exercise in 2024. Photo: AFP
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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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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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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Illustration: Craig Stephens
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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A J-35 stealth fighter prepares for take-off from the flight deck of the Fujian, China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier. Photo: Xinhua
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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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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Construction takes place on the Philippine-occupied Thitu island, locally called Pagasa, in November 2024. Photo: AP
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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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.

Challenges and pathways in the South China Sea
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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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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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.

Wang Qing, China’s ambassador to Asean, at the South China Morning Post’s China Conference: Southeast Asia 2026 on Tuesday. Photo: SCMP
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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A small model of the SDV-01, a swimmer delivery vehicle made by state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation, is displayed at the World Defence Show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday. Photo: Amber Wang
Malaysia

‘Balancing act’: why Malaysia is boosting its missile arsenal amid maritime row

The navy is adding new Norwegian and Turkish missiles to replace its ageing arsenal of decades-old Exocets.

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Russia

Why High Seas Treaty could change ‘rules of the game’ in South China Sea row

Effective January 17, the framework protects unique marine biodiversity and ecosystems in areas beyond any individual country’s jurisdiction.

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The Philippines

Why Australia is picking up the tab for Philippine military upgrades

Canberra’s security interests are more closely aligned with Manila than those of Washington, observers say.

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Filipino and Australian troops fire a howitzer during a joint military exercise in Laur, Nueva Ecija province, Philippines, last August. Photo: Reuters
China-Philippines relations

China, Philippines hold first talks in over a year: South China Sea thaw ahead?

Philippine president rejects calls for Manila to declare Chinese ambassador persona non grata even as frictions spike in South China Sea.

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Chinese and Philippine officials hold talks in Cebu on January 29. Photo: X/Chinaembmanila
Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign

Hainan official who helped build South China Sea reefs faces corruption probe

Xiao Jie’s detention is said to have shocked local officials given his lead role in running the Beijing-held islands in the disputed waters.

Indonesia

Australia, Indonesia sign security deal in ‘watershed moment’

Canberra has signed a series of defence, police and aid deals across the Pacific region to try to boost its influence and limit China’s.

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