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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

Ming dynasty ‘Guide to the Galaxy’: China names 2100 space plan after 1637 book

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“Tiangong Kaiwu” is a renowned Ming dynasty encyclopaedia documenting over 130 types of handicraft techniques, including advanced textile processes and metallurgical methods. Photo: Handout

NIH-funded biomedicine researcher Gao Zhonghua leaves US for China

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Gao Zhonghua is now recruiting a research team. Photo: Handout

China’s first-of-kind ABF crystal creates most energised solid-state laser beam

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The ammonium fluorooxoborate (ABF) crystal is at the heart of a breakthrough by Chinese scientists who say they have attained the shortest wavelength of a laser beam generated from a crystal. Photo: Handout

Chinese hydrogel coating boosts solar panel output by 13%, ideal for hot regions

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Research team says it has received interest from several companies keen to collaborate on commercialising the cooling technology. Photo: Handout

North America’s top computer vision scientist Liang Jie returns to China

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According to the Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo (pictured), Liang Jie joined the university in January 2026 as a chair professor at its School of Electronic Science and Technology. Photo: Handout
MORE China Science NEWS
Claims that state-funded, so-called internet trolls have surfaced to downplay the Philippines’ territorial row with Beijing in the South China Sea and discredit Philippine officials critical of Chinese activities. Photo: Shutterstock
The Philippines

Calls grow for tougher rules to track foreign-paid ‘trolls’ in Philippines

Retired justice says updating the Foreign Agents Act will help deter individuals from espousing pro-Beijing content.

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Vietnam

Friend or foe? Leaked Vietnamese military document labels US ‘belligerent’

Malaysia

Malaysia rushes to plug leaks as Sabah’s subsidised fuel flows to Philippines

China-Philippines relations

Asian Angle | South China Sea: 6 risks facing Philippines, China as conflict threshold lowers

From violent incidents to US missiles in Luzon, a ‘perilous new normal’ and vanishing red lines threaten to derail the Code of Conduct.

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A China Coast Guard vessel (right) fires its water cannon at the Philippines’ BRP Datu Pagbuaya near Philippine-occupied Thitu island, locally called Pagasa island, in the disputed the South China Sea on October 12, 2025. Photo: Philippine Coast Guard via AP
China’s military drills

China patrols around Scarborough Shoal, days after US-Philippine drills

‘Combat readiness patrols’ meant to counter ‘infringement and provocative actions’, PLA Southern Theatre Command says.

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Japan

Video | South Korea and Japan’s defence ministers face off in table tennis

The defence ministers of Japan and South Korea agreed to strengthen cooperation with the United States amid growing security risks, particularly with North Korea.

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The Philippines

China says Philippines is stoking tensions with Scarborough Shoal drill

Manila reportedly issued a notice warning of military exercises across a wide area of the South China Sea until the end of March.

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The exercises will reportedly run until the end of March. Photo: AP
Diplomacy

Opinion | China’s rejection of Darwinian geopolitics is rooted in its history

Davos signalled the collapse of the post-war order but not what will replace it. China can play a role in preventing a descent into anarchy.

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Mainland China

China’s Scarborough Shoal presence ‘unprecedented’ in 2025: report

Beijing substantially increased patrols as well as broadened coverage near contested sites in prized waters, researchers say.

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The Philippines

New gas find prompts Philippines to step up defence of energy frontier

The move to boost security around Malampaya East-1 is seen as a test case for protecting future offshore energy projects in contested waters.

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Drilling of the Malampaya East-1 reservoir in Palawan province, Philippines, on January 19. Photo: Prime Energy via AP
Cambodia

Fear of Thai border action steers Cambodia towards UN law of sea after 43 years

Cambodia’s smaller and weaker navy will find safety in numbers and rule of law now that it has ratified Unclos, according to analysts.

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A soldier stands guard next to Prasat Ta Khwai on January 20. The temple was the site of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia in December last year. Photo: Reuters
Philippine Coast Guard

Video | Parents lose baby in Philippine ferry sinking

More than 350 were on board the inter-island ferry from Zamboanga when it sank on its way to Jolo island.

China's military weapons

Shandong’s use of PLA dry dock near South China Sea suggests carrier milestone

China may avoid a ‘carrier gap’ and could support carrier operations along the Indian Ocean to the Middle East and beyond, analysts say.

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China-Philippines relations

Filipino crew head home after China Coast Guard rescue near Scarborough Shoal

Chinese vessels transfer 15 survivors and the remains of two others to Philippine ships on Sunday afternoon.

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Surviving crew members of the capsized Devon Bay cargo ship reunite after their rescue by the China Coast Guard near Scarborough Shoal on Friday. Photo: Handout
Indonesia

‘Resilience’ is Indonesia’s new foreign policy buzzword, but is it just rhetoric?

Analysts warn the vague concept lacks a long-term strategy and risks Jakarta drifting from its non-aligned values into transactional deals.

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Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (left) meets UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets in 10 Downing Street on Tuesday. Photo: dpa
US-China relations

US banks on strength – not confrontation – to deny China in Indo-Pacific

Pentagon says it will focus on the first island chain while urging partners to contribute more to the collective defence.

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Asean

Asian Angle | What a US-China ‘grand bargain’ would mean for Southeast Asia

Washington’s Venezuela raid has resurrected old fears about ‘spheres of influence’, sounding alarm bells for Southeast Asian autonomy.

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China-Philippines relations

Chinese coastguard rescues Filipino sailors near Scarborough Shoal

PLA Navy also deploys plane as search continues for missing crew from capsized vessel.

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The Chinese coastguard rescues Filipino sailors near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Friday. Photo: China Coast Guard
US-China trade war

China reliance and tariff wars emerge as top risks for global defence industry: report

Consultancy warns geopolitical tensions and supply chain exposure are reshaping risk calculations for military manufacturers.

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China-Philippines relations

Beijing and Manila working on South China Sea talks ‘road map’: ambassador

Jing Quan says ‘best option is to sit down for talks’ aimed at ending long-running territorial dispute between China and Philippines.

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Diplomacy

China bids to host High Seas Treaty secretariat, even as US exits UN bodies

China puts forward Xiamen as potential future home of Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction secretariat as treaty comes into force.

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The BBNJ Agreement provides a framework for governing the ocean that lies beyond the jurisdiction of any individual country, covering around two-thirds of global waters. Photo: Shutterstock
The Philippines

Philippines’ new gas find offers lifeline as Malampaya field starts to run dry

The discovery of a natural gas well near the island of Palawan suggests the potential to produce even more, Marcos says.

The Malampaya natural gas fields are predicted to run dry in the next few years. Photo: Shell Philippines Exploration
Taiwan

PLA sends drone into airspace near Taiwan-held Pratas Island in South China Sea

Southern Theatre Command cites ‘completely legitimate’ routine flight training, while Taipei calls it ‘provocative and irresponsible’ act.

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US-Venezuela conflict

How US actions in Venezuela and beyond could spell opportunity for China

Beijing is trying to present itself as a more responsible power, but analysts say concrete actions will be needed to win over its neighbours.

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Luxury travel

Looking for a luxury Vietnamese escape with Spanish flair? We know a place

Villa le Corail, A Gran Meliá Hotel is a stunning beachfront retreat with private villas, a Michelin-star chef and even some coral conservation thrown in.

The Villa Le Corail, A Gran Meliá Hotel is nestled on Vietnam’s stunning coastline on a private beach. Photo: Handout
The Philippines

Philippines enters its ‘hour of danger’ in Marcos vs Duterte clash

Analysts warn of a ‘very messy year’ ahead as coup fears swirl, the economy falters and political warfare rages out in the open.

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Effigies of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr (left) and Vice-President Sara Duterte are seen at a protest march in Manila. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

French ‘intimacy’: Philippines, France near deal for Indo-Pacific strength

The visiting forces deal comes on top of similar pacts with other nations and could help the Philippines attain a ‘muscular defence arsenal’.

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China-Middle East relations

China warns against ‘law of the jungle’ amid anti-government protests in Iran

Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi that Beijing was willing to mediate.

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