Advertisement
Advertisement
-
South China Sea
TOPIC
 / location

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

Suicide lawsuit against China-born scientist Jane Wu’s US university to proceed

videocam
The legal battle over the death of Chinese-American neuroscientist Jane Wu will move to a more substantive phase after a court ruling on Tuesday, with the next hearing set for mid-May. Photo: Handout

EU’s tech ban; China’s mysterious Nantianmen project: 7 science highlights

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

Smaller, faster, smarter: Chinese transistor ready for future AI chips

videocam
7
Ferroelectric transistors function similarly to neurons in the human brain, as they integrate memory and processing in a single unit. Photo: Shutterstock

World-leading EV motor expert joins Hong Kong PolyU after 38 years in Britain

videocam
8
Zhu Ziqiang, who has joined Hong Kong Polytechnic University as chair professor of electrical machines and control systems. Photo: Handout

Nearly all advanced nations are part of a defence pact. Will China try to join?

videocam
15
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
MORE China Science NEWS
There have been repeated confrontations involving the two sides in recent years. Photo: AFP
Mainland China

Can China and Philippines ‘swap disputes with cooperation’ in disputed waters?

Senator says the two sides might start joint patrols in the South China Sea by the end of next month.

videocam
6
Mainland China

Chinese maritime militia in South China Sea hit ‘record high’ in 2025: US report

videocam
9
China-South Korea relations

Seoul’s protest seen as reluctance to let US Forces Korea confront China

videocam
14
China's military weapons

China’s 155mm naval gun on test vessel signals boost to amphibious landing power

The weapon – reportedly capable of firing guided munitions – represents a significant upgrade for PLA Navy.

Photos of China’s new 155mm weapon mounted on the bow of a test vessel have recently emerged on Chinese social media. Photo: Handout
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.

videocam
China-Australia relations

Beijing monitors Australian frigate Toowoomba’s passage through Taiwan Strait

Anzac-class frigate ‘conducted a routine transit through the South China Sea’, Australian defence department says.

videocam
4
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
China-Japan relations

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

Japan facing ‘most severe and complex’ security scenario since World War II, prime minister says.

videocam
21
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addresses parliament in Tokyo on Friday. Photo: AP
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.

videocam
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.

videocam
4
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.

Qiu Canhui operates a drone aboard the Chinese coastguard vessel Wanshan near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on February 11. Photo: Xinhua
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.

videocam
10
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.

72
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.

videocam
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.

videocam
47
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’.

videocam
11
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.

videocam
16
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.

videocam
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.

22
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.

videocam
16
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’.

videocam
4
A Philippine coastguard vessel sails in disputed waters of the South China Sea during a maritime drill. Photo: EPA-EFE

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.

videocam
8
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.

videocam
8
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.

videocam
18
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.

videocam
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.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement