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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

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

Frost in 20 seconds: can this supercooling tech give China an edge in AI race?

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While China already has twice the power generation capacity of the United States, it is also advancing new technologies for building more energy efficient data centres. Photo: Xinhua

UCLA virologist Xia Xian joins Wuhan lab studying highly pathogenic virus

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An aerial view shows the P4 laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan in China’s central Hubei province. Photo: AFP
MORE China Science NEWS
A fisherman goes out in his boat in Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia. Photo: Ushar Daniele
Malaysia

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

The Malaysian state’s proximity to southern islands in the Philippines has made enforcement against fuel smugglers difficult.

China-Philippines relations

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

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China’s military drills

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

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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.

Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and South Korea's Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back pose after playing table tennis at the headquarters of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, in Yokosuka District, Tokyo, January 30, 2026. Eugene Hoshiko/Pool via REUTERS
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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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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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A China Coast Guard ship patrols the waters near Scarborough Shoal, which Beijing claims and calls Huangyan, in the South China Sea on November 14, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
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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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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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.

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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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Analysis by a US geospatial intelligence company says satellite imagery shows the first use by a Chinese aircraft carrier of a new dry dock near the South China Sea. Photo: AllSource Analysis
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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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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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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The US says it will deter China through strength but allies will be urged to do more for collective defence. Photo: AP
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.

US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping after their talks at the Gimhae Air Base in Busan on October 30, 2025. Photo: TNS
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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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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The two countries’ coastguards have regularly clashed, including this incident in October where a Chinese ship (right) fired a water cannon at a Philippine vessel. Photo: AP
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 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.

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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Pratas, bridging the Taiwan Strait and the Bashi Channel, is the largest natural island in the South China Sea and commands a vital strategic position in its northern reaches. Photo: CNA
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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US actions are fuelling fears that the Donald Trump administration is dismantling the rules-based global order. Photo: Getty Images via AFP
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 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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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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Philippine Navy personnel aboard BRP Miguel Malvar during a naval exercise in the South China Sea in August 2025. Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines, Public Affairs Office via AP
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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The wave of protests in Iran may be the most significant since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Photo: AP
US-Iran tensions

US aircraft carrier steams from South China Sea to Mideast as Iran in turmoil

Pentagon orders USS Abraham Lincoln on new mission after live-fire drills near Scarborough Shoal.

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Paracel Islands

Beijing looks for social workers for posts on disputed South China Sea islands

Job adverts for ‘community workers’ say military veterans and Communist Party members will be favoured for the positions.

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