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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’s hypersonic weapons can be guided by the stars if GPS fails: report

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Before the age of electronic instruments, sailors steered by the North Star. Image: Shutterstock

China says US tried to buy its super magnet that has ‘40% higher’ performance

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The magnets were used to upgrade the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider. Photo: IHEP

Tougher than armour, hard as diamond: China’s unbreakable crystal breakthrough

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A team of researchers in China has found a way to make the world’s hardest substance tougher without sacrificing any of its hardness. Photo: Shutterstock

2,300-year-old wine found near Great Wall ruin reveals ancient brewing secrets

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A well-preserved bronze Warring States-era wine vessel containing 2,300-year-old wine was discovered at the Shanjiabao cemetery. Here it is pictured in the lab. Photo: Handout

Chinese researchers use microbubbles to shrink aggressive liver tumours: paper

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Research has indicated that the movement of microbubbles in the bloodstream can enhance conventional treatments of advanced liver cancer. Photo: Shutterstock
MORE China Science NEWS
Despite speaking in the capital of Washington’s oldest treaty ally in Asia, US defence official Elbridge Colby avoided addressing the escalating maritime tensions between the Philippines and China. Photo: AP
2026 Xi-Trump summits

Why did US defence official Colby avoid mentioning China in Manila speech?

Some analysts attribute the restraint to a desire to avoid antagonising Beijing ahead of next month’s expected Xi-Trump summit.

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China's military weapons

China’s latest rocket failure prompts questions about ambitious launch schedule

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China’s military drills

Powerful anti-drone laser spotted on PLA amphibious ship in South China Sea

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The Philippines

As US marks 75 years of defence pact with Philippines, can it stay the course?

Despite increased drills between the two allies, there are concerns that Washington’s aversion to conflict could weaken its commitment.

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Philippine marines conduct a military operation as part of the Rim of the Pacific exercises held at Bellows Air Force Station in Waimanalo, Hawaii, in June. Photo: Reuters
Japan

Opinion | Japan’s defence white paper is the opening move in a longer game

Japan’s latest defence white paper confirms Chinese strategists’ fears that post-war pacifist guard rails are being dismantled under the guise of ‘self-defence’.

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The Philippines

Philippines’ South China Sea education push blurs ‘teaching the truth’ lines

The push by several Philippine lawmakers is to counter what they say are efforts to support pro-Beijing positions over the maritime row.

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China-Philippines relations

Despite South China Sea clashes, Chinese and Philippine police boost cooperation

Philippine National Police and their Fujian province counterparts agree to share intelligence to tackle cross-border crime.

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Philippine police chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jnr (right) hosts Wang Xizhang, executive director general of Fujian’s Public Security Department, on Tuesday. Photo: Facebook/Philippine National Police
China-Philippines relations

China confirms 2 deaths in Scarborough Shoal crash during Philippine ship chase

Beijing honours two coastguard personnel who died in a vessel collision in the South China Sea last year.

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The Philippines

Philippine sailor on South China Sea outpost under investigation for drug use

The sailor had served in a key position aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, then was involved in resupply runs to the outpost.

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China's military weapons

In Focus | China’s Palantir? Private tech firms surge into defence AI, aiming to match US giants

Some mainland companies’ tech proficiency may be closing gaps with American counterparts, but challenges remain, analysts say.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
US-China relations

China competition looms large in 2027 US defence bill

Taiwan, AI and supply chains headline House and Senate proposals as lawmakers broaden efforts to counter Beijing on multiple fronts.

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The South China Sea remains a central focus of US military planning as Washington expands efforts to counter China. Photo: US Navy
Hong Kong weather

Low chance of typhoon signal in Hong Kong but at least 22 flights to Japan axed

Tropical Cyclone Kujira set to weaken over weekend under countervailing influence of Dolphin, which has been downgraded to a severe typhoon.

Taiwan

KMT accuses Taiwan’s government of failing to uphold South China Sea claims

Opposition figure calls on DPP administration to protest to Manila over Philippine attempt to chart a boundary around Scarborough Shoal.

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The Philippines

Will Philippines’ push for seabed rights derail South China Sea code talks?

Analysts say Manila’s move could make it harder for Asean to agree on a common position regarding the code of conduct.

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The Philippine delegation on the presentation of its partial submission concerning the country’s entitlement to an extended continental shelf, together with the members of the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on July 29. Photo: Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs
China’s navy

Are commercial sea drones new headache for PLA in South China Sea and Taiwan?

A crewless vessel’s footage of a Chinese warship operating near the Philippines highlights their potential intelligence-gathering role.

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Seasats, a California-based autonomous vessel maker, has released footage of a Chinese warship shot by one of its drones. Photo: Seasats
Malaysia

Why Malaysia is urging global powers to uphold international law ‘consistently’

Analysts say the remarks are aimed broadly at powerful states as Southeast Asian nations seek stronger deterrence against coercion.

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The Philippines

Philippines eyes Ukraine’s drone know-how for South China Sea

Manila likes the look of Kyiv’s low-cost drones, but adapting battlefield tech to grey-zone sea stand-offs won’t be easy.

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The Philippines

‘Rich and powerful options in South China Sea toolbox’: Beijing warns Manila

Strongly worded PLA Daily article is latest in a series of countermeasures as Scarborough Shoal row flares, including military drills.

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The PLA carries out joint naval and air drills around Scarborough Shoal on August 1, days after the Philippines filed its official ​nautical chart for the disputed South China Sea feature with the United Nations. Photo: Handout
China-Philippines relations

PLA and coastguards hold South China Sea drills days after Philippine seabed bid

Supersonic anti-ship missiles deployed during exercises near disputed Scarborough Shoal seen as ‘powerful deterrent against provocations’.

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China jobs

Could Filipinos benefit as China opens door to foreign domestic work schools?

Move designed to boost supply and quality of home services as Beijing seeks to create more jobs in a rapidly ageing society.

China-Philippines relations

Opinion | How China and the Philippines can avert clashes over a crumbling ship

Amid fresh clashes over the rusting BRP Sierra Madre, both sides accuse each other of infringing their 2024 agreement. But what did they actually agree to?

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Illustration: Victor Sanjinez
Hong Kong weather

Hong Kong cancels amber rainstorm warning, but wet weather to last until Monday

‘Showers and thunderstorms associated with a broad trough of low pressure are affecting the coast of Guangdong’, Observatory says.

Heavy rain in Tsim Sha Tsui. Photo: Jelly Tse
Japan

US-led drills edge Japan and South Korea closer on defence

Command roles at Rimpac show Tokyo and Seoul can work together militarily, but history caps how far ties can go.

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China’s military

The PLA at 99: how China’s military went from ragtag rifles to world-class force

From revolutionary group to hi-tech machine, the PLA’s transformation has been a long pursuit of strength and self-reliance.

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China-Philippines relations

Beijing accuses Manila of ‘flagrantly infringing’ on sovereignty in seabed claim

Beijing urges United Nations commission not to consider the Philippines’ filing to extend its continental shelf in the South China Sea.

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A China Coast Guard vessel sails near Thitu Island on February 21, 2026. Manila’s proposed extended continental shelf would stretch across the seabed near the Philippine-held feature, also known as Pagasa Island. Photo: AFP
Asean

‘Negotiation fatigue’ risks stalling South China Sea code of conduct progress

Efforts to finalise the code between Asean and China this year are hampered to a large extent by differences between Manila and Beijing.

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Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Theresa Lazaro meets China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Pasay last Wednesday. Photo: EPA
China-Asean relations

Philippine defence chief warns Chinese teaching exchanges pose grey-zone threat

The comments follow reports that language instructors in Manila were trained by a Chinese university at the heart of Batanes controversy.

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Vietnam

Vietnam to host US aircraft carrier despite Trump’s tariffs, Iran war chaos

A 79-year-old veteran of war with America sees the carrier’s visit as proof of how far relations have come.

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