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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

Ke Tao, China’s remote sensing expert ‘devoted’ to national defence, dies at 48

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Ke Tao’s particular expertise was photogrammetry and its application to aerospace, aviation, and in low-altitude, close-range environments. Photo: Handout

Chinese health authority says no need to worry about latest hantavirus outbreak

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The outbreak has been linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius. Photo: Reuters

Why are China’s coastal fish farms disappearing while India’s are expanding?

Aquaculture workers check sea cucumber growth at a marine farm in China's eastern Shandong province. Photo: Xinhua

China’s Tongji University punishes top cancer researcher for misconduct

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Tongji University in Shanghai says it will use the case as a lesson to strengthen oversight of research integrity among staff and students. Photo: Handout

Will Iran war threaten next harvest? Which countries are most at risk?

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Blockades in the Strait of Hormuz have sent the price of urea – a widely used nitrogen-based fertiliser – soaring in the US and Brazil, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. Photo: Handout via Reuters
MORE China Science NEWS
Sunset over the South China Sea. Vietnam cites claims dating back to the 17th century to assert ownership over the Paracel and Spratly Islands. Photo: Xinhua
Vietnam

Vietnam adds over 2 square km of land in South China Sea, US report says

The expansion brings its total reclaimed area to roughly 11 square km, according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.

The Philippines

Decoding this year’s US-Japan-Philippines Balikatan drills

Asean

Asean to step up push for South China Sea code, energy security

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The Philippines

Why is a Chinese research ship a flashpoint with Philippines in South China Sea?

Beijing and Manila trade accusations after incident near Iroquois Reef in the disputed Spratly Islands this week.

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Manila says China’s Xiang Yang Hong 33 vessel, pictured, was monitored carrying out “unauthorised” marine scientific research operations in the western part of Iroquois Reef on Wednesday. Photo: Philippine Coast Guard
Asean

Asean’s pivot to energy security leaves long-standing issues on summit sidelines

Southeast Asia is one of the worst affected by the global fuel crisis due to its high imports of oil and gas coming from the Gulf.

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Asean

Opinion | Why China’s warning over military blocs is finding listeners in Asia

For regional governments, strategy is about preserving options. China has read this instinct carefully and given it a diplomatic vocabulary.

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China's military weapons

Does YJ-20 hypersonic sea-based missile give China an edge over US carriers?

The highly manoeuvrable weapon is nearly invulnerable to interception and could sink an aircraft carrier with a single hit.

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The Chinese military’s formidable YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile launches from a Type 055 destroyer. Photo: Handout
India

Vietnam, India seek closer ties to hedge against dependence on superpowers

President To Lam’s agenda during his visit to New Delhi is expected to include a deal for Vietnam to buy India’s BrahMos missiles.

China-Japan relations

China condemns Japan’s first overseas ‘offensive missile’ test since WWII

Beijing says Japan’s ‘neo-militarism’ is a ‘scourge’ that threatens regional peace and stability.

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Japan

Japan, Philippines to fast-track transfer of navy destroyers

The two countries’ shared grievances over Chinese territorial claims have seen them draw increasingly close in recent years.

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Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (left) and Philippines’ Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jnr shake hands after a bilateral meeting in Manila on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
Japan

Takaichi to hold talks in Vietnam on economic security, critical minerals

Both sides are expected to discuss cooperation in areas such as energy and artificial intelligence.

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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrives at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Friday. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Video | US seeks blanket overflight access to Indonesian airspace

Internal warnings reveal a government split over risks that blanket access for US warplanes could drag Indonesia into foreign conflicts.

China's military weapons

Why Beijing’s weaponised cargo ship could be crucial in the Taiwan Strait

Beijing’s ‘containerised destroyer’ can carry missile launchers and hide within commercial shipping lanes, military magazine says.

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China technology

China upgrades maritime rescue range and depth as ambitions on the seas expand

Body responsible for strategically sensitive South China Sea completes ‘formal transition’ after extensive deepwater training.

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The Nanhai Jiu 103, one of China’s most advanced search and rescue ships. Photo: Handout
Diplomacy

Opinion | Without diplomacy, deterrence in Asia is a path to escalation

The danger is that every state insists it is acting defensively while collectively building the habits and infrastructure of confrontation.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
China's military weapons

PLA showcases YJ-20 anti-ship missiles as US-Japan-Philippines test war moves

Video of PLA Navy strike tests emerges as US, allies take part in Balikatan 2026, marking Japan’s first-ever operational role in the drills.

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China’s military drills

China stages navy drill as US and Philippines embark on Balikatan 2026

The Liaoning aircraft carrier appears to be among 14 large naval vessels snapped on manoeuvres in a satellite image circulating online.

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The Philippines

‘We owe it to the world’: Philippines pushes for South China Sea code this year

Talks between Asean and China to agree on setting rules for maritime behaviour and crisis management under the code have stalled.

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A Chinese coastguard vessel (right) fires its water cannon at the Philippine BRP Datu Pagbuaya near Philippines-occupied Thitu island, locally called Pag-asa island, at the South China Sea last October. Photo: Philippine coastguard via AP
The Philippines

How fake job ads in Philippines led to alleged spy recruitment pipeline

The ads, some of which experts say were linked to China, aimed to get unsuspecting Filipino defence specialists to give up key information.

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US-China relations

What the Iran war could tell China about US focus on maritime chokepoints

The Iran war reflects Washington’s greater emphasis on implementing its maritime security strategy, analyst says.

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The Philippines

How the Philippines became Japan’s closest security partner in Southeast Asia

Japan’s participation in the Balikatan drill and its new weapon export rules are set to further defence ties between the two countries.

A sailor raises the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force ensign on board the JS Ise helicopter destroyer as it docks in Manila last year. Photo: AFP
China-Asean relations

Exclusive | China and Philippines taking ‘baby steps’ towards better relations: ambassador

Jaime FlorCruz says both sides want stable ties, but closer economic relations must not be used as ‘leverage’ in the South China Sea dispute.

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Jaime FlorCruz said relations should be “stable and predictable”. Photo: Handout
China's military weapons

PLA’s new Type 076 ‘drone carrier’ set for South China Sea training drills

China’s next-level amphibious warship, the Sichuan, in same waters where US, Japan and the Philippines are conducting joint military exercises.

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Japan

Vietnam, Philippines trust Japan. But Indonesia’s more cautious

Analysts say Indonesia worries about its neutrality as Tokyo ramps up ties with the US and lags behind China on green investment.

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US, Israel war on Iran

Is Malacca Strait at risk from Hormuz ‘chain reaction’ after Iranian warning?

Chinese analyst says the Mideast crisis has made the world start ‘thinking about the security of shipping routes again’.

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“The era of imposing security from across the oceans has come to an end,” Iran’s senior adviser Ali Akbar Velayati has said. Photo: EPA
China-EU relations

Open Questions | ‘Saying you’re a geopolitical actor doesn’t make it so’: Sven Biscop on Europe

The Belgian political scientist on what the Iran war and the transatlantic collision reveal about Europe’s place in a fast-changing world.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Asean

Opinion | As Iran war fallout hits Southeast Asia, US is losing influence to China

Asean survey reflects China’s growing strategic influence but also concerns. The question is: will China crowd the US out of the region?

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China-Asean relations

As I see it | Vietnam and China are now perfectly aligned

The emerging partnership enables Vietnam to preserve diplomatic flexibility and advance economic diversification in the face of US pressure.

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