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South China Sea: Analysis

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South China Sea: Analysis

The latest news, analysis and opinion on South China Sea: Analysis. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

South China Sea

Opinion | Vietnam wants a South China Sea dispute resolution pact with teeth, not more politics

Asean member states and China are a step closer to forming a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea after years of operating a toothless diplomatic pact that has failed to reduce tensions.

9 Apr 2019 - 12:30PM

South China Sea

Opinion | What a stranded ship in South China Sea says about China-Philippine ties

13 Sep 2018 - 11:17AM

South China Sea

How the US clouds China-Asean progress in South China Sea

7 Aug 2018 - 2:15PM

China-Philippines relations

Why flags on Sandy Cay symbolise latest flashpoint in South China Sea dispute

Experts interpret Manila’s counter flag-raising as an effort to resist Beijing’s creeping jurisdiction.

28 Apr 2025 - 7:50PMvideocam

In this photo provided by the National Task Force West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), Philippine inter-agency members which included Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine National Police - Maritime Group, hold the Philippine flag as they visit Sandy Cay 2 in the South China Sea on April 27. Photo: AP

South China Sea

Opinion | Beijing’s approach to South China Sea tensions: reduce now, resolve later

While focusing on economic links, China is open to negotiating with rival claimants as long as actors outside the region aren’t involved.

24 Apr 2025 - 5:30AMvideocam

US-China relations

As Trump’s tariffs hit US allies hard, will China make inroads?

From the EU to Australia, the West’s geopolitical partnerships have fractured, but suspicions about Beijing persist.

24 Apr 2025 - 4:31AMvideocam

South China Sea

South China Sea: is Beijing’s code of conduct ‘milestone’ progress or a tactic?

In all likelihood, the negotiations will be kicked further down the road just as in the past, analyst says.

8 Apr 2025 - 9:00AMvideocam

South China Sea

South China Sea: poor diplomacy and deep mistrust may spark crisis, expert warns

Region is in ‘stable tension’, analyst tells Boao Forum. ‘We already have so many actors in the region … It’s so crowded, this place’.

1 Apr 2025 - 9:00AMvideocam

South China Sea

Beijing ready with fresh tactics if Manila launches new South China Sea case: expert

On sidelines of Munich Security Conference, Chinese maritime analyst Wu Shicun says Beijing has new tools since Hague ruling in 2016.

18 Feb 2025 - 3:55PMvideocam

South China Sea

Opinion | How Trump could upend South China Sea calculations all round

Trump’s transactional diplomacy risks complicating the hedging of stakeholders from Philippines to Vietnam, and adding unpredictability for China.

20 Jan 2025 - 5:30AMvideocam

South China Sea

South China Sea conflict risks to rise in Trump’s second term, academic forecasts

The year ahead is likely to see Washington take a more aggressive approach to Beijing, while other disputes in the waterway continue.

6 Jan 2025 - 10:54PMvideocam

US president-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration is expected to take a confrontational approach to Beijing, fuelling tensions in the South China Sea, according to a Chinese expert. Photo: Reuters

South China Sea

Global Impact | Waves continue in South China Sea as China warns against ‘provocative actions’

In this week’s issue of the Global Impact newsletter, we recap the latest in the South China Sea.

9 Dec 2024 - 2:05PMvideocam

South China Sea

Explainer | Who is winning the fight for the South China Sea’s resources?

Claimants are competing for fish, oil and gas amid unresolved maritime boundaries and differing interpretations of law.

1 Oct 2024 - 9:00AMvideocam

South China Sea

Why Philippine warning of South China Sea war may not be cause for serious alarm

Manila’s defence chief said towing away a grounded ship would be an act of war, but one analyst said that is ‘not a good option’ for China.

19 Sep 2024 - 10:00PMvideocam

The BRP Sierra Madre was grounded on the reef in 1999. Photo: Reuters

South China Sea

Can mini-lateral pacts help Manila navigate the South China Sea’s choppy waters?

The Philippines should focus on security ties with neighbours rather than hoping that Asean can secure a Code of Conduct, analysts say.

13 Sep 2024 - 2:30PMvideocam

Philippine Coast Guard personnel wave flags as a Vietnam Coast Guard patrol ship makes a port call at the Port of Manila on August 5. Photo: EPA-EFE

South China Sea

Explainer | What is Beijing’s 9-dash line in the South China Sea and what does it mean?

The cartographer’s mark was first drawn on official maps 80 years ago but has been the subject of numerous interpretations.

10 Sep 2024 - 10:11AMvideocam

US-China relations

As No 2 US envoy ends Pacific tour, Beijing scores a diplomatic win on Taiwan

After Beijing envoy demands ‘correction’, Pacific Islands Forum scraps Taiwan reference from its annual summit’s final communique.

1 Sep 2024 - 12:39AMvideocam

Vietnam

As South China Sea stakes ratchet ever higher, Vietnam seeks out calmer waters

Hanoi’s new leadership is doubling down on ‘bamboo diplomacy’ to navigate choppy geopolitical currents and protect economic gains.

25 Aug 2024 - 2:41PMvideocam

Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Vietnam’s To Lam after a signing ceremony in Beijing on Monday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Taiwan

China law enforcers mount joint sea patrols to extend maritime reach: observers

Beijing says latest operation designed to ‘enhance maritime traffic control and emergency rescue capabilities’ as Taiwan keeps watchful eye.

19 Aug 2024 - 11:06PMvideocam

South China Sea

China vows ‘strong measures’ against Philippines in South China Sea

Sabina Shoal is latest flashpoint between Beijing and Manila as foreign ministry decries ‘infringing behaviour’.

17 Aug 2024 - 4:47PMvideocam

South China Sea

How will Manila answer as Beijing shifts its South China Sea tactics to the sky?

A confrontation between the two countries’ air forces has raised concerns that Beijing may use its aggressive maritime tactics in the sky.

12 Aug 2024 - 6:25PMvideocam

A Philippine Air Force NC-212 light transport plane. The same model of aircraft was involved in an incident on August 8 involving PLA Air Force jets dropping flares in its flight path. Photo: Facebook / @ Alakdan Division

South China Sea

Beijing bankrolls science missions as conflict heats up South China Sea

China deploys several advanced ships and technologies to explore marine biology, fisheries and mineral resources.

9 Aug 2024 - 9:00AMvideocam

China’s Shen Kuo research vessel has been spotted around the Philippines in recent months. Photo: Handout

South China Sea

How is China’s ‘maritime militia’ supporting the PLA in the South China Sea?

Hundreds of fishing vessels used as auxiliary forces are ‘floating pieces of sovereignty’ that help the PLA with surveillance, reclamation support and disaster relief.

5 Aug 2024 - 11:50AMvideocam

South China Sea

China urged to set deadline for Philippines to withdraw from contested shoal

China should present time frame for withdrawal from Second Thomas Shoal and block supplies if Manila does not comply, says Wu Shicun.

19 Jul 2024 - 3:59AMvideocam

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China-Philippines relations

Global Impact | Stakes higher than ever in South China Sea, scepticism looms despite meeting

In this week’s issue of the Global Impact newsletter, we look at the situation in the South China Sea after talks between China and the Philippines took place in Manila.

17 Jul 2024 - 7:04PMvideocam

South China Sea

Opinion | South China Sea: Marcos is resisting drastic moves, but for how long?

Calls in the Philippines are growing, for measures from building a lighthouse on Second Thomas Shoal to inundating China with litigation.

13 Jul 2024 - 6:03AMvideocam

South China Sea

Beijing exploiting talks to assert control over South China Sea: analysts

Analysts argue Beijing’s negotiations with the Philippines are being exploited to normalise China’s control over contested territory.

9 Jul 2024 - 10:52AMvideocam

South China Sea

Opinion | Philippines’ dithering over South China Sea clash fuelled by US doubts

Dithering official statements reflect not only Philippine fears of unwanted escalation but also, crucially, doubts over US defence commitments.

29 Jun 2024 - 6:39AMvideocam

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