42 h. ago PLA tanker ‘spotted resupplying coastguard vessel’ near Scarborough Shoal

The PLA Navy replenishment ship Qinghaihu was reportedly seen resupplying a China Coast Guard vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal last week. The manoeuvre highlights growing coordination between China’s naval and coastguard forces amid heightened tensions with the Philippines in the contested South China Sea. According to a report by Manila-based ABS-CBN news, two Chinese navy warships and four coastguard vessels, as well as several Chinese maritime militia vessels, were monitored by the...

Events

5 d. ago China says it expelled Philippine planes from disputed South China Sea reef

China said it had expelled two Philippine aircraft near the disputed Scarborough Shoal on Thursday in the second confrontation between the two rival South China Sea claimants in as many days. Liu Dejun, a spokesman for the Chinese coastguard, said two Philippine reconnaissance aircraft had “illegally entered Chinese air space above Huangyan Island” (the Chinese name for Scarborough Shoal). He added that the planes had been expelled in “accordance with laws and regulations”. The previous day the...

Politics

1 week ago China, US and Thailand seize record meth haul near disputed South China Sea reef

China, working with the United States and Thailand, has seized a record haul of illegal drugs near a disputed South China Sea reef, state media said on Friday. The Chinese anti-drug agency and the China Coast Guard, acting on a tip-off from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Royal Thai Police, intercepted the vessel Ji Sheng around 130 nautical miles southwest of the Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China, the People’s Daily reported. The operation was on the...

Politics

2 w. ago China ignites Scarborough Shoal flashpoint with bombers, ships

China ignites Scarborough Shoal flashpoint with bombers, ships  Asia Times

Events

2 w. ago Chinese coastguards ‘committed to sacred mission’ in Scarborough Shoal dispute

China’s coastguards said they were ready to uphold the country’s sovereignty in the disputed Scarborough Shoal, in a message broadcast by state broadcaster CCTV on National Day. The country has a long-running dispute with the Philippines over the reef and other areas of the South China Sea, and Wednesday’s report said the coastguards had resumed “regular patrols” in the area for the next 50 days. Coastguard officer Chen Zhijie told CCTV that protecting the disputed island was his “sacred duty...

Events

3 w. ago What Scarborough nature reserve plan means for South China Sea

China’s decision to establish a national nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal – known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines – has hit regional headlines as the plan involving the contested South China Sea feature swiftly became a diplomatic flashpoint. Approved by China’s State Council and announced by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the plan covers some 3,500 hectares of ecologically sensitive reef and waters, divided into “core” and “experimental”...

Politics

4 w. ago China could shore up Scarborough Shoal control with artificial island: analyst

China could build an artificial island at the fiercely contested Scarborough Shoal to shore up control of the surrounding waters if its newly established nature reserve fails to stem challenges by the Philippines, a prominent Chinese scholar on the dispute has said. But a final decision would boil down to control, cost and confrontation, according to Wu Shicun of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, a government-sponsored think tank. A major consideration would be “whether it...

Politics

4 w. ago China exports to Africa soar, Super Typhoon Ragasa: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Super Typhoon Ragasa: Shenzhen to evacuate 400,000, Guangdong suspends trains Cities in China’s southern provinces are bracing for Ragasa, the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year, with Shenzhen warning of “disastrous calamities” ahead and preparing to relocate hundreds of thousands of people. 2. China’s exports to Africa up by 25% as Trump’s...

Politics

4 w. ago Beijing could build research lab at Scarborough Shoal, South China Sea expert says

China might build a science laboratory at the disputed Scarborough Shoal and invite international experts to conduct coral reef and fisheries research, a leading South China Sea analyst said. He also called for further measures like boarding inspections, penalties for illegal fishing and barring rival claimants from the area. Beijing announced on September 10 that it had approved the creation of a nature reserve spanning around 35 sq km (13.5 square miles) at the shoal, which Beijing calls...

Science