Unbiased AI-powered news
40 stories related to this topic, newest first.
upi.comChina deployed a guided-missile frigate and three coast guard cutters to monitor allied exercises less than 60 miles from Scarborough Shoal. The weekend drills marked the eighth maritime cooperative activity of 2026. Officials from both sides issued statements on the patrols and…
South China Morning PostThe People’s Liberation Army dispatched ships and aircraft to the South China Sea following a joint US-Philippine exercise 50 nautical miles from the disputed shoal. Manila reported four Chinese vessels monitored the activity conducted over the weekend.
NewsweekNewsweek reported that China’s military published video this week of its Liaoning carrier group being monitored by the Japanese destroyer JS Asahi. The footage covers the final stage of a deployment that ended June 20.
The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs rejected recent social media posts from the Chinese embassy in Manila that questioned the 2016 arbitral award. Officials described the award as final and binding under international law.
South China Morning PostTaiwan’s Coast Guard Administration reported two mainland Chinese vessels entering restricted zones around Taiping Island on 11 June 2026 before being driven away. The incident marks the first reported entry of Chinese government ships into Taipei-defined waters near the island.
asiaone.comU.S. intelligence agencies are tracking recent Chinese maritime operations near Scarborough Shoal. Philippine authorities reported a floating structure inside the shoal earlier this week.
RapplerChina imposed entry bans and transaction restrictions on Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., his wife, and their adult son. Manila called the move an unfriendly act that complicates bilateral ties.
France 24Two Chinese vessels entered the four-kilometre prohibited zone around Taiping Island on June 11, 2026, and remained for 15 minutes before Taiwan's coast guard expelled them. Taiwan called the entry the first such intrusion and condemned it as grey-zone harassment.
The Japan TimesManila issued demarches and a formal protest after aerial monitoring detected a six-by-six meter structure with an antenna inside the disputed shoal. The request came during a Wednesday briefing by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Taiwan’s patrol ship ordered the vessel to leave after it ignored warnings and crossed into the zone. The incident marks the fifth reported Chinese Coast Guard entry near the islands this year.
focustaiwan.twTaiwan's top weapons development institute demonstrated three robot patrol dogs intended for future use in reconnaissance, surveillance, and patrols on islands in the South China Sea.
newser.comThe Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit have left Singapore and entered the South China Sea near the Philippines to deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific.
NewsweekSatellite imagery captured an unidentified reflective object less than 10 meters in diameter at the southern entrance to Scarborough Shoal's lagoon between May 26 and 28. Philippine officials are investigating the object's nature and origin while efforts to verify its status cont…
nbcnews.comDefense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. presented the Philippines as a convergence point for middle powers during the final plenary session of the Shangri-La Dialogue on May 31, 2026.
Japan TimesThe leaders of Vietnam and the Philippines met in Manila and stated that freedom of navigation in the South China Sea remains nonnegotiable. They also agreed to coordinate more closely on regional issues.
thehindu.comChinese military and coast guard units carried out patrols near Scarborough Shoal on Sunday, one day after Philippine and U.S. forces completed joint maritime drills in the same area.
nbcnews.comGilberto Teodoro Jr. spoke at the May 31, 2026, Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, describing the Philippines as a convergence point in a fragmented Indo-Pacific while criticizing China over the 2016 Arbitral Award.
abcnews.go.comThe Philippines expects ongoing friction with China over South China Sea territory, the national defense secretary said. Officials want any further Chinese construction halted.
South China Morning PostThe PLA Southern Theatre Command stated that a Dutch frigate entered waters near the Paracel Islands without permission and that Chinese forces responded with electronic interference. The incident occurred on Wednesday.
focustaiwan.twTaiwanese lawmakers will visit Pratas Island in July 2026, the first such trip in eight years. The island is also claimed by Beijing.
Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force troops fired two Type 88 surface-to-ship missiles from northwest Luzon on May 6 during Exercise Balikatan 2026. The live-fire event marked the first deployment of Japanese combat troops on Philippine soil since World War II under a reciprocal ac…
South China Morning PostThe US Trade and Development Agency announced on Tuesday it will fund a study for the airport at a former naval base near Manila Bay. The project aims to address the Philippines’ projected aviation needs while incorporating strong security measures for direct flights to major US…
thehindu.comU.S. and Chinese leaders are holding a meeting on May 13, 2026, with residents of Thitu Island in the disputed South China Sea closely following developments. The encounter was the focus of a segment on NPR's All Things Considered that ran 4:09. Thitu Island is known in the Phili…
manilatimes.netSoutheast Asian nations met in the Philippines from May 6 to 8, 2026, with the deepening economic toll of the United States and Israel’s war on Iran at the top of the agenda. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. outlined priorities on energy, food and citizen safety while urging peace…
The TimesThe annual Balikatan exercises involving 17,000 service members from the United States, Philippines and Japan concluded last week. The drills featured unmanned aircraft and live-fire exercises near areas where fishing has been restricted. Local fishermen and union leaders reporte…
China has used dredging ships to increase the land area of Antelope Reef, adding jetties, roads and a helipad by April 2026. The atoll in the Paracel Islands is one of many contested features in the South China Sea where nations are expanding presence on small islands and reefs.
RapplerLeaders at the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu agreed on the need for energy resilience, stability in the South China Sea, and progress in Myanmar. The retreat session ran into overtime but produced no timelines or detailed measures. The summit is the first leaders-level meeting of the…
A new report documents Vietnam's expansion of outposts in the South China Sea as Hanoi and Beijing reinforce competing territorial claims through land reclamation. The activity comes amid an ongoing race between the two nations to strengthen their positions. Vietnam has added hun…
Japan TimesJapan deployed about 1,400 personnel to this year's Balikatan exercises in the Philippines, roughly 10 times the number sent last year. The drills, which concluded on May 9, 2026, included counter-landing operations and anti-ship missile training in northern areas facing Taiwan a…
South China Morning PostDefence officials announced that future war games will involve the informal "Squad" alliance of the United States, Australia, Japan and the Philippines. Manila designated the Diaoyu-Senkaku Islands a security flashpoint for the first time. Tokyo offered warship transfers as the e…
thehindu.comChina and the Philippines traded accusations after a Chinese research ship operated near Iroquois Reef in the Spratly Islands this week. Each side warned of further countermeasures following the incident. The area is claimed by both countries and is believed to hold oil and natur…
winnipegfreepress.comSoutheast Asian leaders gathered in Cebu on Friday to develop a contingency plan for stable fuel and food supplies amid the Iran conflict. The summit also focused on evacuating more than a million regional citizens working in the Middle East. Officials called for extending a mont…
asiaone.comThe Philippines said a Chinese vessel was conducting research activities near the gas-rich Reed Bank in the South China Sea. Officials described the operation as illegal and said it occurred in an area within the country's exclusive economic zone. The development adds to ongoing…
japantoday.comJapan conducted live-fire drills in waters between the Philippines and Taiwan, firing surface-to-ship missiles and sinking a decommissioned vessel as part of exercises involving U.S. forces. The drills took place amid heightened regional tensions. China has objected to the activi…
A Chinese research vessel was spotted deploying a service boat toward Iroquois Reef on May 6, 2026, inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. The PCG said the activity violated Philippine sovereign rights and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Admiral Ron…
South China Morning PostPhilippine officials emphasized the need to complete a code of conduct for the South China Sea this year during a panel discussion. The code, negotiated since 2002 between ASEAN and China, seeks to reduce tensions in the disputed area. An upcoming ASEAN summit will address relate…
South China Morning PostPhilippine officials announced the arrest of three civilian defence workers who confessed to sharing sensitive details, including South China Sea resupply missions, with handlers linked to Chinese intelligence. The case stems from fake job ads posted in 2023 on military forums, t…
Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling visited Itu Aba, a Taiwan-controlled island in the South China Sea, on April 22, 2026. The trip marked the first such ministerial visit in seven years and included exercises on humanitarian relief and armed ship boarding. The i…
SemaforThe United States and the Philippines began their annual Balikatan military exercises on April 20, marking the largest iteration yet with new participants including Japan, Canada, France, and New Zealand. The drills, running through May 8, include maritime strike operations on a…
Substrate placeholder — needs reviewThe United States and its allies initiated major live-fire exercises in the South China Sea on April 20, 2026, marking the largest such event to date. Japan participated as a full member for the first time, joined by Australia, France, and New Zealand. The drills expand on longst…