35 h. ago Chinese Navy holds "routine patrol" in South China Sea after joint Philippine drills

Chinese Navy holds "routine patrol" in South China Sea after joint Philippine drills  Baird Maritime

Politics

41 h. ago While the PLA was on parade in Beijing, its navy patrolled the South China Sea

China’s navy conducted a “routine patrol” in the contested waters of the South China Sea as “deterrence” on the same day the PLA mounted a massive military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II. The patrol on Wednesday took place in the wake of Exercise Alon, the biggest-ever joint drill between Australia and the Philippines, which ran from August 15 to 29. A Canadian frigate also took part in the exercise, while several countries, including the United...

Politics

3 d. ago Filipinos target ‘nepo babies’, Malaysia’s electric train: 7 Asia highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. What Vietnam’s South China Sea island-building spree means for Asean Vietnam’s rapid expansion of artificial island construction in the disputed Spratly Islands has put it on track to surpass China’s land reclamation in the South China Sea, according to new satellite...

Events

4 d. ago Vietnam builds islands to counter threat of Beijing in South China sea

Vietnam builds islands to counter threat of Beijing in South China sea  The Times

Events

5 d. ago Will China boost defence posture as Vietnam deepens footprint in Spratlys?

Beijing may be prompted to fortify its defences in the disputed South China Sea, observers have warned, after new satellite images showed Vietnam had stepped up island-building in the Spratly Islands. Vietnam occupies the most features on the contested Spratlys, which China claims as the Nansha Islands. Rival claimants over all or part of the archipelago include Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei. Satellite images released on August 22 by the US think tank Centre for Strategic and...

Politics

5 d. ago How China could turn Paracels into a submarine kill zone in South China Sea

Four years after the USS Connecticut, one of the most advanced nuclear submarines in the US Navy, slammed into an uncharted seamount in the South China Sea, the site of that near-catastrophic grounding may now become a deadly minefield for future naval battles. Chinese military scientists are proposing to transform the dangerous underwater terrain where the Connecticut crashed into a strategically engineered kill zone, packed with powerful mines designed to exploit the very same acoustic blind...

Events

7 d. ago Hong Kong to cancel T1 typhoon alert at 6.10pm, issue strong monsoon signal

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong readers now get 50% off their first year of subscription until September 21, 2025. The Hong Kong Observatory will cancel the No 1 typhoon warning at 6.10pm on Friday and issue the strong monsoon signal shortly afterwards. The weather forecaster said on Friday that a tropical depression over the central and northern parts of the South China Sea was...

Events

7 d. ago Hong Kong cancels T1 typhoon alert, issues strong monsoon signal

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong readers now get 50% off their first year of subscription until September 21, 2025. The Hong Kong Observatory cancelled the No 1 typhoon warning at 6.10pm on Friday and issued the strong monsoon signal shortly afterwards. The weather forecaster said that a tropical depression over the central and northern parts of the South China Sea was gradually...

Events

8 d. ago Vietnam is taking a leaf out of China’s playbook to build fortified islands in the disputed South China Sea

Vietnam is taking a leaf out of China’s playbook to build fortified islands in the disputed South China Sea  CNN

Politics

8 d. ago Satellite Photos Show Chinese Ship Badly Damaged in South China Sea Crash

Satellite Photos Show Chinese Ship Badly Damaged in South China Sea Crash  Newsweek

Events

8 d. ago Beijing accuses Philippines of ‘causing trouble’ in South China Sea

Beijing has accused the Philippines of “causing trouble” in the South China Sea while also suggesting the United States was to blame for fuelling tensions. On Thursday, Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesman for the Chinese defence ministry, criticised joint drills by the Philippines and Australia. “[Manila] has repeatedly courted influence from outside powers to make waves in this area, playing the role of an ass in a lion’s skin,” Zhang said, using a Chinese idiom to accuse it of “jeopardising regional...

Events

9 d. ago Australia, Canada, Philippine ships hold drills in tense South China Sea

Australia, Canada, Philippine ships hold drills in tense South China Sea  Al Jazeera

Politics

9 d. ago Hong Kong to issue T1 typhoon warning signal at 7.10pm on Thursday

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong readers now get 50% off their first year of subscription until September 21, 2025. The Hong Kong Observatory will issue the No 1 typhoon warning signal at 7.10pm on Thursday, with scattered thunderstorms expected to affect the city the next day. The forecaster said a tropical cyclone over the central and northern parts of the South China Sea would...

Events

9 d. ago Philippines warns China not to cross ‘red line’ over grounded warship

The Philippines has warned China that any attempt to board or tow away its grounded warship at the Second Thomas Shoal would be crossing a “red line” after Manila detected a sharp rise in Chinese maritime activity around the disputed feature in the South China Sea. Philippine Navy Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad told reporters on Tuesday that the military was closely monitoring a surge in Chinese maritime activity near the shoal, including the deployment of a navy tugboat for the first...

Events

9 d. ago Hong Kong may issue No 1 typhoon warning signal between Wednesday and Thursday

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. Hong Kong’s weather forecaster has said it may issue a No 1 typhoon warning signal on Wednesday night or Thursday morning, with thunderstorms expected over the next two days. “The broad area of low pressure to the west of Luzon has entered the central and northern parts of the South China Sea...

Events

9 d. ago Hong Kong Observatory could issue T1 warning on Thursday 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 could issue a No 1 typhoon warning on Thursday morning, with the forecaster also expecting showers, thunderstorms and squalls that day. “The broad area of low pressure to the west of Luzon has entered the central and northern parts of the South China Sea and is...

Events

1 week ago To counter Beijing in South China Sea, Manila and Canberra forge defence pact

Australia and the Philippines’ push to finalise an “enhanced defence cooperation” agreement by next year underscores how regional allies are accelerating security coordination in response to China’s growing assertiveness in contested waters, a shift analysts say could reshape strategic dynamics in the South China Sea. The talks were announced during a Friday press conference in Manila, where Australian Deputy Prime Minister and defence chief Richard Marles and Philippine Defence Secretary...

Politics

1 week ago China Challenges U.S. Navy’s ‘Gunboat Diplomacy’; Questions Legal Basis Of American South China Sea FONOPs

China Challenges U.S. Navy’s ‘Gunboat Diplomacy’; Questions Legal Basis Of American South China Sea FONOPs  EurAsian Times

Politics

1 week ago Vietnam accelerates land building in disputed South China Sea

Vietnam accelerates land building in disputed South China Sea  Straight Arrow News

Politics

1 week ago After Chinese ships ram each other, concern over dangerous encounters in South China Sea

After Chinese ships ram each other, concern over dangerous encounters in South China Sea  Breaking Defense

Politics