29 h. ago ‘Any time, any place’: Philippine army to be deployed to South China Sea islands

A senior Philippine military official has revealed a soon-to-be-deployed strategy that would involve an army contingent to support law enforcement units on occupied islands in the South China Sea. Observers said the strategy would align with Manila’s policy shift from an internal to external defence posture aimed at protecting the country’s territorial waters. One expert, however, warned that it could lead to more aggressive moves by the Chinese navy and coastguard if Beijing were to view...

Politics

60 h. ago Chinese vessel grounding: concern in Philippines over new grey

A recent case of a Chinese militia vessel running aground on a strategic island in the disputed South China Sea has raised concerns from the Philippine side of another wave of so-called grey-zone activities by Beijing, even as Manila’s officials acknowledge the incident could be down to inclement weather. Observers point to the Philippines having adopted the same strategy to stake claim over the Second Thomas Shoal when it permanently grounded the war vessel BRP Sierra Madre in 1999. The recent...

Politics

4 d. ago Hong Kong Observatory may raise No 1 typhoon signal on Wednesday morning

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Hong Kong Observatory is expected to issue the No 1 typhoon warning signal on Wednesday morning at the earliest and assess the need to raise the alert to a higher level the following day. The forecaster said a broad area of low pressure over the central part of the South China Sea was...

Politics

4 d. ago Hong Kong Observatory could issue No 1 typhoon signal on Wednesday morning

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Hong Kong Observatory is expected to issue the No 1 typhoon warning signal on Wednesday morning at the earliest and assess the need to raise the alert to a higher level the following day. The forecaster said a broad area of low pressure over the central part of the South China Sea was...

Politics

5 d. ago John Lee exclusive interview, Chinese rethink UK degrees: 5 weekend reads

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. ‘Don’t kill your successful DNA’: Hong Kong’s John Lee on tariffs, trade war 2. ‘It’s too much’: Chinese students reconsider UK degrees as policies harden 3. Loitering with intent: Beijing’s new silent South China Sea strategy? 4. Japan grows restless for next-gen fighter jets as progress with...

Politics

6 d. ago China’s 4 core principles show way to peace in South China Sea, think tank says

A state-backed think tank has put forward China’s “four core principles” as a constructive framework for addressing disputes in the South China Sea, while blaming regional tensions on external actors who fuel rival claimants’ actions and weaken the “willingness for maritime cooperation”. “China has long been committed to managing tensions and differences with disputing parties, and exercising great restraint in disputes”, Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with state news agency Xinhua,...

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7 d. ago Vietnam ramps up expansion of South China Sea outposts: think tank

Vietnam has continued to expand land reclamation on its occupied features in the South China Sea, with military-related construction of new ports and airstrips, according to a Chinese think tank. Citing satellite images, the Beijing-based South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI) said on Friday that the Southeast Asian nation had reclaimed nearly 0.78 sq km (0.3 square miles) of land on 11 features in the contested Spratly Islands, known as the Nansha Islands in China, over the past six...

Events

7 d. ago Vietnam ramping up expansion of South China Sea outposts: Chinese think tank

Vietnam has continued to expand land reclamation on its occupied features in the South China Sea, with military-related construction of new ports and airstrips, according to a Chinese think tank. Citing satellite images, the Beijing-based South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCSPI) said on Friday that Vietnam had reclaimed nearly 0.78 sq km (0.3 square miles) of land in the past six months on 11 features in the contested Spratly Islands, which are known as the Nansha Islands in China. In total,...

Events

7 d. ago Loitering with intent: Beijing’s new silent South China Sea strategy?

When a Chinese coastguard vessel appeared off the coast of Zambales province in late May, it didn’t fire a shot or issue a threat. Instead, it lingered – uninvited, silent and unmoving. To analysts in Manila, the message was loud and clear: Beijing was testing new tactics in the South China Sea, one quiet incursion at a time. The coastguard vessel was detected roughly 76 nautical miles (140km) off Palauig Point – well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and about 220km southeast of...

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9 d. ago Beijing warns the EU to stop ‘provoking trouble’ in the South China Sea

Beijing warns the EU to stop ‘provoking trouble’ in the South China Sea  Al Jazeera

Events

1 week ago Manila says may sign agreements with Beijing to reduce tensions in South China Sea

Manila says may sign agreements with Beijing to reduce tensions in South China Sea  thestar.com.my

Events

1 week ago China ‘has a lot of trust building to do’ in South China Sea, Philippines says

The Philippines’ defence chief has called on Beijing to engage in good-faith negotiations over the South China Sea, stressing that China still has a long way to go to earn Manila’s trust. Observers warn that trust goes both ways, however, pointing to factors such as growing cooperation between Manila and Washington, and the reduced Chinese presence at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore over the weekend. At the security summit, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr rebuked a Chinese...

Politics

1 week ago US Warship Challenged Beijing's South China Sea Claims, Navy Says

US Warship Challenged Beijing's South China Sea Claims, Navy Says  Newsweek

Events

2 w. ago Chinese forces patrol Scarborough Shoal to ‘defend sovereignty’

The Chinese military and coastguard on Saturday launched a sea and air combat readiness patrol around Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China, to “further strengthen its control and defend its sovereignty”, according to an official statement. The show of force came a day after China’s state broadcaster aired rare footage of Chinese military drills in contested waters near the Spratly Islands, known as the Nansha Islands in China, highlighting Beijing’s ability to take military...

Politics

2 w. ago Double standards in war condemnation would ‘kill our own credibility’: Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron has warned of double standards in condemning conflicts, calling on world leaders to be consistent and form a coalition with a rules-based order in light of the ongoing wars around the world. During his keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) on Friday night, Macron took swipes at Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Israel’s hostilities in Gaza and China’s aggression in the disputed waters of the South China Sea, pointing out that the “big risk” was to forget...

Events

2 w. ago Beijing’s marine science diplomacy can calm South China Sea tensions

The South China Sea has long been a flashpoint in geopolitical tensions, but beneath its contested surface lies one of the planet’s most scientifically compelling marine frontiers. Home to an array of deep-sea ecosystems, hydrothermal vents, underwater mountain ranges and vast coral reef systems, the region is increasingly recognised as a natural laboratory for cutting-edge oceanographic research. Climate change, biodiversity loss and overexploitation are putting mounting pressure on marine...

Events

2 w. ago Opinion | Beijing’s marine science diplomacy can calm South China Sea tensions

Opinion | Beijing’s marine science diplomacy can calm South China Sea tensions  South China Morning Post

Events

2 w. ago How China’s maritime strategy is swapping force for research diplomacy

The South China Sea has long been a flashpoint in geopolitical tensions, but beneath its contested surface lies one of the planet’s most scientifically compelling marine frontiers. Home to an array of deep-sea ecosystems, hydrothermal vents, underwater mountain ranges and vast coral reef systems, the region is increasingly recognised as a natural laboratory for cutting-edge oceanographic research. Climate change, biodiversity loss and overexploitation are putting mounting pressure on marine...

Politics

2 w. ago Chinese Bombers Seen in South China Sea Amid US Aircraft Carrier Patrol

Chinese Bombers Seen in South China Sea Amid US Aircraft Carrier Patrol  Newsweek

Events

2 w. ago Filipino activists stage ‘sea concert’ to resist Chinese claims in disputed waters

Combining protest with performance, Filipino activists staged a “sea concert” near the disputed Thitu Island in the South China Sea this week – a symbolic act of resistance that analysts say may not advance legal claims but could help galvanise regional solidarity and draw global attention. The event, organised by the Atin Ito (This Is Ours) coalition, took place aboard the civilian vessel M/V Kapitan Felix Oca, which set sail from Palawan in the early hours of Tuesday carrying volunteers and...

Politics