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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

China team mulls hitting typhoons with an energy beam from space

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Duan Baoyan theorises that microwave beams from outer space could “alter regional atmospheric circulation and change a typhoon’s intensity and path”. Photo: Shutterstock

What cost foreign prestige? China says no to some Western science journal fees

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Chinese researchers accounted for at least a quarter of the more than 10,000 papers published in one leading international journal last year. Photo: Shutterstock

Why Chinese team’s flexible organic battery could revolutionise wearables

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Flexible organic materials for batteries are inherently stable and easier to synthesise and recycle. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese gene-editing technique raises prospect of new autism treatments

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The scientists used a new gene-editing tool to correct the mutation in mice. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese scientists may have found battery that could double EVs’ range

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Lithium batteries are essential for electric vehicles, but so far efforts to improve their performance have hit a ceiling. Photo: STR/ AFP
MORE China Science NEWS
The RC-135 is one of the mainstays of the US military’s large reconnaissance aircraft fleet. Photo: US Air Force
US-China relations

US patrol flights over South China Sea drop 30% as focus shifts to Middle East

Decline in reconnaissance aircraft sorties comes during critical time in China-US ties ahead of planned Donald Trump visit.

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US-China relations

Will Iran attack derail Trump’s high-stakes China visit to meet Xi Jinping?

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The Philippines

‘Deliberate signal’: Philippines elevates officer amid South China Sea tensions

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Mainland China

South China Sea expert warns 2026 code of conduct is ‘simply not achievable’

The agreement ‘cannot be successfully negotiated’ while rival claimant Philippines holds Asean chair, Chinese analyst Wu Shicun says.

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The Chinese coastguard recovers Philippine fishing nets near a disputed area of the South China Sea. Photo: Xinhua
The Philippines

Indonesia is getting an aircraft carrier. The Philippines isn’t. Does it matter?

Indonesia wants to project power. The Philippines wants to deny it. In the South China Sea, one approach may matter more than the other.

Asean

Letters | Asean is not choosing sides, but strategically maximising space

Readers discuss how Southeast Asian governments have gained bargaining power, the benefits of cheap public transport, and a harbourfront project.

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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.

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There have been repeated confrontations involving the two sides in recent years. Photo: AFP
Mainland China

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

Deployments averaged 241 vessels per day, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative report says, notes waning role for civilian fishing fleets.

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China-South Korea relations

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

South Korean complaint highlights growing difficulty in balancing ties with both security ally US and top trading partner China: analyst.

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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.

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Members of the Philippine Navy take part in a collaborative colouring activity during the launch of the nationwide mural contest on February 10. Photo: Raissa Robles
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.

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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.

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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.

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Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gives her policy speech during the special Diet session in Tokyo on Friday. Photo: AP
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.

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A US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, fires during the Balikatan joint military exercises at a naval station in Zambales province, northern Philippines, on April 26, 2023. Photo: AP
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.

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.

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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.

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Chinese coastguard vessels carry out a law enforcement drill in the South China Sea on February 4. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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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.

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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.

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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’.

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CCTV shows a section of China’s cyberspace force stationed on Fiery Cross Reef. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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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.

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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.

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Members of the US Army Rotational Force-Philippines and the Marine Rotational Force-Southeast Asia hold a meeting at Camp Aguinaldo in the Philippines on January 12. Photo: Handout
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.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
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’.

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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.

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