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.
last updated:
16 October, 2024
LATEST China Science NEWS

China’s stratospheric airship can detect F-35 fighter from nearly 2,000km: study

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Chinese researchers say they can detect the US-made F-35 fighter jet from more than 1,800km away via its engine exhaust plume. Photo: US Air Force

Tibetan tree rings link climate change and fall of major Chinese dynasties

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Dry periods on the Tibetan plateau were linked with major political upheaval. Photo: Xinhua

China builds ‘planetary defence’ team as concerns grow over 2024 YR4 asteroid

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If the 2024 YR4 asteroid were to hit land, the shock wave and radiation generated could destroy a medium-sized city, but space scientists are not yet worried about the space rock colliding with Earth, according to a Chinese space expert. Photo: Shutterstock

Demystifying DeepSeek: 4 burning questions about the AI start-up answered

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DeepSeek’s innovation in developing high-performing AI models at low cost has put the company under the global microscope. Photo: Shutterstock

China has met most of its 5-year goals. It hasn’t done so well on emissions

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The Tsinghua University researchers said China had become a world leader in green energy development. Photo: Xinhua
MORE China Science NEWS
The US and its allies closely monitor China’s Type 094 Jin-class submarines, which have been observed conducting “near-continuous” patrols in the contested South China Sea. Photo: Reuters
China’s military

Type 094 nuclear submarine is China’s ‘King of the South China Sea’

Jin-class strategic submarine could threaten US territory from the contested waterway, but its flaw may make it easy to track.

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The Philippines

Brics beckons: would the Philippines joining mend its ties with China?

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Taiwan

Trump’s aid freeze sounds security alarm in Taiwan amid cross-strait tension

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Science

China adds ‘ghost particle’ detector to South China Sea observation network

In the darkness of the ocean depths, Chinese scientists are hoping to solve one of the enduring mysteries of the universe.

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Chinese scientists have placed detectors in the South China Sea, as they plan to build a huge underwater observatory in a bid to observe neutrinos, and discover the origin of cosmic rays. Photo: The Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
US-China trade war

Trump, Japan PM project unity in countering China on economy and security

US president hails potential sale of US$900 million worth of cutting-edge missiles to Tokyo as island nation jockeys with Beijing in region.

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China-Philippines relations

Why 12 more South Korean FA-50 fighter jets for Manila may make China ‘insecure’

Growing military ties between the US treaty allies take on added significance as Manila clashes with Beijing in the South China Sea.

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China-Asean relations

Maritime rivals China and Brunei vow oil and gas cooperation in disputed waters

They pledge to support resource development in ‘mutually agreed areas’ of South China Sea, but analyst says agreement is largely symbolic.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) shakes hands with Brunei’s monarch, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua
The Philippines

Philippines assured by Hegseth of US’ ‘ironclad’ pledge to mutual defence treaty

Both countries discussed “the importance of re-establishing deterrence in the South China Sea”.

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China’s military drills

PLA patrols in South China Sea for second day as tensions mount with Philippines

Chinese military says it carried out ‘routine patrol’ following US-Philippine joint exercise.

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The Philippines

Philippine, US planes fly near contested shoal in ‘message to China’

Air patrol exercise underscores Manila’s efforts to assert its maritime claims while testing US commitment to regional security, analysts say.

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A pair of PAF FA-50 fighter aircraft (foreground) in formation flight with a pair of US Air Force B-1B bombers during a joint air exercise over the South China Sea on Tuesday. Photo: Philippine Air Force / AFP

China’s Jiaolong deep-sea vessel set for sea trials after major upgrades

Crewed submersible has been key to Chinese ambitions to lead oceanic research and exploration in areas like deep-sea mining and intelligence.

Shenhai Yihao, the mother ship of Jiaolong, made a port of call in Hong Kong last September after a deep-sea expedition in the western Pacific. Photo: Eugene Lee
China’s military drills

PLA decries US-Philippine air drill over South China Sea as tensions escalate

Earlier, Chinese naval vessels attracted Manila’s ire as they crossed Basilan Strait on the way to distant-sea training exercise.

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China-Philippines relations

PLA holds combat readiness patrols around hotly disputed South China Sea shoal

Chinese military stages exercises around Scarborough Shoal, which has been a source of persistent tensions with the Philippines.

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China-Philippines relations

Philippine president offers to return US missiles if China ends ‘aggressive’ acts

Analysts say the proposal was likely rhetorical rather than genuine, with little chance Beijing would ever take up such a deal.

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US Army soldiers conduct inaugural Tomahawk Land Attack Missile launch from the Mid-Range Capability (aka Typhon) launcher at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California in June 2023: Photo: US Army
Indonesia

Is Indonesia’s BrahMos missile deal with India a counter to China’s influence?

The potential US$450 million deal, alongside other defence collaborations, reflects Indonesia’s desire to diversify its partnerships and strengthen its maritime security.

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A soldier salutes from a BrahMos Weapon system during the Republic Day parade in New Delhi on January 26, 2021 Photo: AFP
The Philippines

From ‘ironclad’ to uncertain: Trump’s aid freeze shakes US-Philippines ties

Philippine officials insist the pause in US$500 million in military aid is temporary, but analysts warn it signals a broader strategy shift.

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Malaysia

Malaysia’s Anwar urges Asean not to ‘single out’ Beijing over South China Sea

Anwar’s statement at the World Economic Forum emphasises the need to balance strong relations with China while addressing maritime issues.

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The Philippines

Philippines wealth fund invests in China-backed grid operator, despite tensions

Investing in the national grid operator, partly owned by China’s State Grid Corp, boosts government control over critical power infrastructure amid geopolitical tensions.

The Philippines’ sovereign wealth fund is investing in the country’s power grid operator, giving the government greater control over critical infrastructure amid tensions with China. Photo: Shutterstock
Indonesia

Indonesia tests the limits of non-alignment in the South China Sea

As Jakarta deepens military and coastguard cooperation while rejecting Beijing’s sweeping claims, can it maintain a precarious equilibrium?

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China-Philippines relations

China says it drove off Philippine ‘trespassers’ in disputed Spratly Islands

Manila has accused Beijing of ‘aggressive’ behaviour in the latest incident in the long-running South China Sea dispute.

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The Philippines

Philippines halts sea survey after China helicopter flies too low over boats

The coastguard said a mission to collect sand samples was suspended due to the ‘disregard for safety exhibited by the Chinese maritime forces’.

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Chinese coastguard officers check an incident with the Philippine fisheries bureau during a survey in the South China Sea on January 24. Photo: PCG/AFP
US-China relations

What did Rubio say about Taiwan independence? US, China at odds

A certain detail is conspicuously absent from State Department’s account of a phone call reportedly made at the top American envoy’s request.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the first member of US President Donald Trump’s cabinet to win Senate confirmation. Photo: Reuters
United States

Opinion | If Trump has his way with Maga, it’s back to the law of the jungle

Catering to Trump’s whims – his territorial ambitions, tariff threats and shirking of global responsibility – will only embolden him.

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The Philippines

Philippines deploys ‘surface action groups’ to counter Beijing in South China Sea

Experts, however, warn that Manila’s strategy of having several warships patrolling at once could strain resources and leave the navy vulnerable to targeted attacks.

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The Philippines

Rubio says US committed to Philippines but could Trump change course?

Observers welcome Rubio’s statements that they say indicate continuity in US policy and ‘more robust support’ for Manila in South China Sea row.

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US and Philippine Marines fire Howitzer artillery during a live-fire exercise as part of the joint US-Philippines annual military Balikatan drills in Laoag on Luzon island’s northwest coast in May 2024. Photo: AFP
The Philippines

Philippines ‘blindsided’ by mounting security woes amid fresh espionage claims

Officials ‘connecting the dots’ between arrest of alleged Chinese spy, underwater drones and Pogos as analysts call for stronger legal frameworks.

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Philippine officials say there seems to be a “deliberate and calculated move to map out the country by a foreign power”. Photo: Shutterstock
US-China relations

Rubio backs Manila, condemns Beijing’s ‘dangerous’ actions in South China Sea

The US secretary of state opens his term by reaffirming Washington’s commitment to the Philippines and other regional allies.

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US-China relations

Editorial | As Trump begins his second term in the White House, an eerie feeling of deja vu

Inaugural speech sounds like a copy of what the US president said eight years ago, but now China is better prepared to meet his challenges.

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