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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 testing truck-mounted nuclear reactor that could power AI data centre

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The vehicle-mounted reactor can generate up to 10 megawatts of power. Photo: Handout

China upgrades maritime rescue range and depth as ambitions on the seas expand

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The Nanhai Jiu 103, one of China’s most advanced search and rescue ships. Photo: Handout

China’s thalassaemia jab raises hope for common inherited blood disorder

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Professor Chen Jia (centre), the brain behind the development of the CS-101 therapy. Photo: Handout

Nobel laureate biochemist Hartmut Michel joins Jilin University in China

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German biochemist Hartmut Michel shared the 1988 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for revealing how photosynthesis works at the molecular level. Photo: Handout

Chinese supercomputers help crack mystery of Yellowstone volcanic plumbing

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The Steamboat Geyser erupts in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Chinese scientists say Yellowstone’s magma channels were not blasted open by magma forcing its way upward, as long believed. Photo: Reuters
MORE China Science NEWS
The Nanhai Jiu 103, one of China’s most advanced search and rescue ships. Photo: Handout
China technology

China upgrades maritime rescue range and depth as ambitions on the seas expand

Body responsible for strategically sensitive South China Sea completes ‘formal transition’ after extensive deepwater training.

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Diplomacy

Opinion | Without diplomacy, deterrence in Asia is a path to escalation

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China's military weapons

PLA showcases YJ-20 anti-ship missiles as US-Japan-Philippines test war moves

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China’s military drills

China stages navy drill as US and Philippines embark on Balikatan 2026

The Liaoning aircraft carrier appears to be among 14 large naval vessels snapped on manoeuvres in a satellite image circulating online.

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China’s first aircraft carrier went into commission in 2012 and was named “Liaoning” after the northeastern province. Photo: Xinhua via AP
The Philippines

‘We owe it to the world’: Philippines pushes for South China Sea code this year

Talks between Asean and China to agree on setting rules for maritime behaviour and crisis management under the code have stalled.

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The Philippines

How fake job ads in Philippines led to alleged spy recruitment pipeline

The ads, some of which experts say were linked to China, aimed to get unsuspecting Filipino defence specialists to give up key information.

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US-China relations

What the Iran war could tell China about US focus on maritime chokepoints

The Iran war reflects Washington’s greater emphasis on implementing its maritime security strategy, analyst says.

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The liquefied natural gas tanker LNG Jia Xing passes through the Strait of Malacca, a route for most of China’s maritime trade and energy imports. Photo: EPA
The Philippines

How the Philippines became Japan’s closest security partner in Southeast Asia

Japan’s participation in the Balikatan drill and its new weapon export rules are set to further defence ties between the two countries.

China-Asean relations

Exclusive | China and Philippines taking ‘baby steps’ towards better relations: ambassador

Jaime FlorCruz says both sides want stable ties, but closer economic relations must not be used as ‘leverage’ in the South China Sea dispute.

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China's military weapons

PLA’s new Type 076 ‘drone carrier’ set for South China Sea training drills

China’s next-level amphibious warship, the Sichuan, in same waters where US, Japan and the Philippines are conducting joint military exercises.

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China’s first drone-carrying Type 076 amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, on its maiden sea trial last November. Photo: CCTV
Japan

Vietnam, Philippines trust Japan. But Indonesia’s more cautious

Analysts say Indonesia worries about its neutrality as Tokyo ramps up ties with the US and lags behind China on green investment.

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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and US President Donald Trump share a glance during remarks at White House dinner on March 19. Photo: Kyodo
US, Israel war on Iran

Is Malacca Strait at risk from Hormuz ‘chain reaction’ after Iranian warning?

Chinese analyst says the Mideast crisis has made the world start ‘thinking about the security of shipping routes again’.

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China-EU relations

Open Questions | ‘Saying you’re a geopolitical actor doesn’t make it so’: Sven Biscop on Europe

The Belgian political scientist on what the Iran war and the transatlantic collision reveal about Europe’s place in a fast-changing world.

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Asean

Opinion | As Iran war fallout hits Southeast Asia, US is losing influence to China

Asean survey reflects China’s growing strategic influence but also concerns. The question is: will China crowd the US out of the region?

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
China-Asean relations

As I see it | Vietnam and China are now perfectly aligned

The emerging partnership enables Vietnam to preserve diplomatic flexibility and advance economic diversification in the face of US pressure.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) holds a welcome ceremony for Vietnamese President To Lam at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People, prior to their talks in Beijing, on April 15. Photo: Xinhua
Vietnam

China, Vietnam vow to ‘better’ navigate South China Sea disputes

Joint communique indicates wish to keep maritime disputes from jeopardising ties and caps To Lam’s trip.

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The Philippines

Opinion | Without restraint, Beijing and Manila can’t deliver the South China Sea code

Much hinges on how China and the Philippines manage the distrust between their frontline maritime forces.

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Taiwan

What does Japan’s role in a US-Philippine military drill mean for Taiwan?

Tokyo’s 1,400 combat troops mark most extensive participation yet in annual joint exercise and signal ‘priorities’ to Beijing, analysts say.

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The Japan Self-Defence Forces will deploy about 1,400 personnel for the Balikatan exercise, an annual large-scale joint military drill between the Philippines and the United States. Photo: Shutterstock
Japan

Why Japan will remain the most trusted power in Asean despite military push

A survey by ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute shows respondents trusted Japan more as a power than the EU, the US, China and India.

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US-China relations

US warns of China’s ‘invasion rehearsals’ as Trump seeks record military budget

Washington puts spotlight on Beijing’s Taiwan, space operations during hearing on US military’s combat readiness for next year.

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China-Asean relations

Xi tells Vietnamese counterpart they should ‘jointly oppose unilateralism’

On To Lam’s state visit, Chinese president also urges keeping ‘supply chains stable and unimpeded’ as Iran war deepens global energy crisis.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (second left) and his wife Peng Liyuan (left) welcome Vietnamese President To Lam and his wife Ngo Phuong Ly in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Vietnam News Agency/AFP
US-China relations

Russian and Chinese envoys meet in Beijing to discuss Iran, Ukraine and Taiwan

Chinese readout warns of rising turmoil in veiled swipe at Washington and Trump as Beijing strengthens ties with Moscow.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (left) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pose before talks in Beijing on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
The Philippines

Philippines rejects China’s claim it ‘staged’ cyanide evidence at disputed shoal

Manila said tests found cyanide in bottles seized near the Second Thomas Shoal, rejecting Beijing’s claim that the evidence was manufactured.

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The Philippines

US-Philippines ties enter ‘more mature’ phase with planned fuel depot

The facility in Davao signals that defence ties are now focusing on sustainment, endurance and operational continuity, analysts say.

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Science

3 satellites to track all? Chinese radar images confirm US military fears

Breakthrough suggests ability to achieve global, 24/7, all-weather reconnaissance coverage of high-value targets.

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A rendering of the Ludi Tance 4-01, the world’s first geosynchronous orbit synthetic aperture radar satellite. Photo: Handout
US, Israel war on Iran

Trump faces a dilemma in the aftermath of failed US-Iran peace talks: analysts

The two countries are still far apart on the big issues, with American midterms looming and no quick way out.

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Iran and the United States failed on the weekend to reach an agreement to end the war in the Middle East. Photo: AFP
Asean

Asian Angle | Doubts about Trump strain Southeast Asia’s US-China balancing act

An increasingly unpredictable Washington is making the region’s traditional hedging strategy harder to sustain.

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China-Japan relations

‘A big deal’: military drills show Tokyo’s growing focus on deterring China

Combat-ready Japanese troops are being deployed in the Philippines for the first time since Japan’s occupation of the country during World War II.

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