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.
last updated:
16 October, 2024
LATEST China Science NEWS

China releases powerful electronic warfare weapon design software – for free

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Industrial software for designing electronic warfare weapons has been released for free by Chinese researchers. Photo: Shutterstock

China-born gene-editing star scientist Zhang Feng recognised with top US prize

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White House director of science and technology policy Arati Prabhakar (left) presents China-born MIT professor Zhang Feng with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. Photo: Ryan K. Morris

China plans to build ‘Three Gorges dam in space’ to harness solar power

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A Long March-5 rocket is seen at the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in southern China. The much larger Long March-9, a reusable heavy-lift rocket, will be used to realise plans for the solar power station in space. Photo: Xinhua via AP

China’s Mars mission leaves US for space dust with Nasa at least 4 years behind

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The US space agency has revised its timeline to retrieve samples from Mars, putting it further behind Chinese plans to bring Martian rocks to Earth by 2031. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese doctors surprised by reports of HMPV surge, say flu is a bigger problem

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A baby waits to be seen by medical staff at a hospital in Hangzhou in eastern China. Medical staff say cases of flu are far more common this winter. Photo: AFP
MORE China Science NEWS
President-elect Donald Trump has said he wants the US to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal. Photo: AP
The Philippines

Philippine politicians worry about ‘warmonger’ Trump’s aggressive foreign policy

Several groups say Donald Trump poses a grave danger to the region and worry the US president-elect may involve the Philippines in a war.

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Indonesia

Indonesia to keep pushing for South China Sea code, expand defence ties

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Malaysia

Malaysia and Japan to develop green energy projects, Ishiba eyes defence ties

China-Asean relations

PLA chief of joint staff Liu Zhenli visits Malaysia on first overseas trip

Malaysian prime minister hails ‘strong’ China ties in talks with Liu, as defence minister urges dialogue to manage South China Sea issues.

Liu Zhenli, PLA joint staff chief and Central Military Commission member, with Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin, in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. Photo: X/ KhaledNordin
The Philippines

Philippines urged to ‘lean into US alliance’ to deter China in disputed sea

Manila can invite US military to undertake humanitarian operations or partner American company for oil exploration in disputed waters, analyst says.

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Higher risk of aerial face-off with Manila in South China Sea: Chinese analyst

Warning from top maritime analyst Hu Bo comes as China intensifies efforts to assert claims over disputed, busy waterway.

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The Philippines

‘Show of force’? Huge Chinese ship seen near shoal contested with Philippines

Observers interpret the presence of the 165-metre vessel near Scarborough Shoal as a warning to Manila about its military ties with the US.

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Nicknamed “the monster” for its 165-metre length, the world’s largest coastguard ship was spotted on Saturday near Scarborough Shoal. Photo: Philippine Coast Guard
China-Philippines relations

South China Sea conflict risks to rise in Trump’s second term, academic forecasts

The year ahead is likely to see Washington take a more aggressive approach to Beijing, while other disputes in the waterway continue.

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The Philippines

Drone discovery in Philippines spurs call for US military expansion

Filipino congressman Robert Ace Barbers’ call comes after a drone was recovered off Masbate, which he says could be a spying device.

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US-China relations

Open Questions | Obama-era diplomat Daniel Russel on Trump 2.0’s potential effects on China

In a less forgiving global environment for Beijing, how will Donald Trump’s second term play out for Taiwan?

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Vietnam

Vietnam’s BrahMos plans spotlight India’s rising Southeast Asian security role

The US$700 million deal would make Vietnam the second nation in the region to acquire the supersonic cruise missiles after the Philippines.

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A BrahMos missile system is seen in New Delhi during a parade in 2021. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

‘We are a frontline state’: how the Philippines is preparing for a US-China war

The US treaty ally is spending billions to arm itself for a conflict over Taiwan or the South China Sea it hopes will never come.

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Science

Chinese war games system sees surprise US attack on PLA in South China Sea

When key details about a US stealth anti-ship missile were added to a war games simulation, the results were unexpected.

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China-Philippines relations

Why 2024 was the ‘most violent, dangerous’ point in Philippine-China ties

June 17 clash at Second Thomas Shoal, China’s grey-zone activities among Philippines’ challenges as it sought to boost defence in disputed sea.

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A Chinese coastguard member holds an axe as they approach Philippine troops on a resupply mission in the Second Thomas Shoal at the disputed South China Sea on June 17, 2024. Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP
The Philippines

Is US naval activity in Philippine waters to counter China’s Typhon objection?

USNS Victorious’ presence near Luzon is to signal Washington’s commitment to the Philippines amid the Typhon row with China, analysts say.

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US soldiers conduct a Tomahawk missile launch from the Mid-Range Capability, or Typhon, launcher at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California last year. Photo: Handout via US Army
China-Asean relations

Chinese warships make port call in Vietnam after talks on joint patrols

Fleet led by destroyer and amphibious warfare ship docked in eastern city of Da Nang, PLA says.

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Japan

Why did Chinese ships spend record 353 days near Diaoyu Islands in 2024?

Beijing’s action aims to undermine Tokyo’s sovereignty over the islands and push Japanese defensive capacities to their limit, analysts note.

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Climate change

Opinion | Asia must not let its appetite for sand consume its rivers and seas

The environmental consequences of sand mining are immense. Across Asia, rivers are shrinking, coastlines eroding and ecosystems unravelling.

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Ferries sail along the Mekong River at dawn in Phnom Penh on August 13. The river has become a hotspot for sand mining. Photo: AFP
US-China relations

Trump’s first 100 days: can Beijing stop downwards spiral in US-China ties?

Early contact with new administration seen as an important ‘window of opportunity’ for Beijing to help set the course of future relations.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | With South Korea in crisis, what black swans lurk for East Asia in 2025?

Signs of upheaval and uncertainty in Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines will be compounded as the US recalibrates its East Asia policy.

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China-Philippines relations

How a China-Philippines flashpoint could prove an early test for Trump

The escalating dispute over the South China Sea atoll risks dragging in the US, a long-term ally of Manila.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
The Philippines

Philippines forges ahead with Typhon purchase plan: ‘China should not intervene’

Experts say the move is a declaration of self-reliance and a calculated gamble amid mounting tensions in the South China Sea.

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The Typhon is a land-based, ground-launched system designed to enhance multi-domain capabilities. Photo: US Army
China-Philippines relations

Philippines bringing ‘arms race risks’ with US Typhon missiles, China warns

‘Cooperating with the US to introduce the Typhon’ poses major threat to regional peace, Beijing warns in third such comment this week.

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China-Philippines relations

Beijing urged to strengthen legal talent pool in South China Sea dispute

A workshop in Beijing heard that the country needs to boost its legal talent pool as Manila threatens action in the international courts.

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The Philippines

‘Extremely irresponsible’: Philippine army’s Typhon purchase plan angers China

The Typhon missile system has raised tensions between Manila and Beijing after its deployment in US-Philippine military drills.

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US army’s new medium-range missile launch system, Typhon. Photo: US Army
Vietnam

‘Very striking’: China and Vietnam tighten ties in a ‘3+3’ strategic pivot

The inclusion of public security alongside diplomacy and defence in their new dialogue mechanism has piqued analysts’ interest.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi with his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son in Beijing on December 10. Photo: Xinhua
Diplomacy

To keep calm in the South China Sea, Beijing reaches for the bilateral playbook

China’s often-used bilateral consultation mechanism doesn’t always work, but it does help defuse conflicts, experts say.

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China’s coastguard

Spotting of China’s new Z-20 helicopter model suggests coming coastguard role

The medium-lift helicopter is seen as China’s answer to America’s Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk.

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