South China Sea News

The Philippines and China accused each other on Sunday of responsibility for a maritime confrontation near disputed islands in the South China Sea, further escalating tensions in the resource-rich waterway.The Philippine Maritime Council, an inter-agency government body, blamed Chinese maritime forces for deploying water cannon and ramming a Filipino vessel near the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, locally known as Pag-asa, "strongly condemning" the incident and vowing to pursue "appropriate diplomatic action".According to Manila's coast guard…

China's coast guard held a National Day flag-raising ceremony on a ship in the waters off the disputed Scarborough Shoal, vowing to "stand guard" over the atoll, a major flashpoint for diplomatic flare-ups and maritime clashes with the Philippines.Both countries claim the triangular feature in the busy waterway of the South China Sea, but it is effectively under Beijing's control.

China's Coast Guard said on Tuesday it fired water cannon at Philippine ships near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, and the Philippines accused Beijing of "aggressive" action that injured one person.The confrontation comes a week after China approved plans to turn the shoal into a national nature reserve, a move that defence analysts have said would test Manila's response over the 150 sq km (58 sq mile) triangular chain of reefs and rocks.The Philippine coast…

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday said the U.S.

The navies of the Philippines, Australia and Canada were conducting a joint sail in the South China Sea on Tuesday, an area of flaring tensions following a collision between two Chinese vessels last week.The Philippine frigate BRP Jose Rizal, Australian destroyer HMAS Brisbane and Canadian frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec were participating in the operation, which a Philippine military official said was not directed at any country."Our activity is based on the premise that the exercise is anchored on the free and open Indo-Pacific with peace and prosperity in the region…

China's military said on Wednesday it monitored and "drove away" a U.S. destroyer that sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, while the U.S. Navy said its action was in line with international law.The first known U.S. military operation in at least six years within the shoal's waters came a day after the Philippines accused Chinese vessels of "dangerous manoeuvres and unlawful interference" during a supply mission around the atoll.In a statement, the…

The Philippines expressed serious concern on Tuesday over what it described as "dangerous manoeuvres and unlawful interference" by Chinese vessels during a coast guard supply mission for Filipino fishermen in the Scarborough Shoal on Monday."Their actions not only posed a grave danger to Philippine personnel and vessels, but also resulted in the unfortunate collision between the two Chinese vessels," the Philippine foreign ministry said in a statement.A Chinese navy ship collided…

The Philippine and Indian navies have sailed together for the first time in the South China Sea, officials said on Monday, as President Ferdinand Marcos left Manila for New Delhi for a state visit.The Philippines has conducted "maritime cooperative activities" with foreign navies since late 2023 as part of its push to counter China's expansive claims in the waterway, including joint passages with treaty ally the United States, as well as Japan, Australia, France and Canada.An Indian official said the passage was in the West Philippine Sea and part of a bilateral exercise with Manila…

China sanctioned former Philippine senator Francis Tolentino on Tuesday and barred him entry, citing "egregious conduct" on matters such as the disputed South China Sea a day after the end of his six-year term.Tolentino, who lost his bid for a second term in midterm elections, had canvassed on his efforts to bring in laws last year defining the country's sea lanes and maritime zones, which China opposed.A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry accused some Filipino politicians of making "malicious remarks and moves" that hurt ties between the two nations."The Chinese government is firml

Military leaders are working to enforce a "one-theatre" concept in both the East and South China seas, the Philippines' defence minister said on Monday, adding that the Southeast Asian country facesthreats in disputed waters that are similar to Japan's.Japanese newspaper Asahi reported in April that Japanese defence minister Gen Nakatani made a proposal to U.S. Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth to consider the East China Sea, the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas as a single "theatre"…

A key U.S. warship arrived in Australia on Saturday ahead of joint war games and the first summit between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President Donald Trump, which is expected to be dominated by military issues.The America, the U.S. Navy's lead amphibious assault ship in the Indo-Pacific, entered Sydney Harbour as the first of three ships in a strike group carrying 2,500 sailors and marines, submarine-hunting helicopters and F-35B fighter jets.More than 30,000 personnel from 19 militaries have begun to arrive in Australia for Talisman Sabre, the largest Australian-U.S.

The Philippine foreign ministry said on Thursday that China has no right to object to or interfere with its lawful and routine activities in the South China Sea.The ministry said it also "rejects and refutes" recent statements of the Chinese embassy in Manila that Beijing has indisputable sovereignty over the Spratly islands.The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and China between them have claims and a presence on dozens of features in the Spratly archipelago, ranging from reefs and rocks to islands, natural and artificial.

Satellite imagery shows China landed two of its most advanced bombers in the disputed Paracel islands in the South China Sea this month - a gesture that some analysts described as Beijing's latest signalling of its growing military capabilities to rivals.The deployment marks the first time the long-range H-6 bombers have landed on Woody Island in the Paracels since 2020, and the movement of the now upgraded aircraft comes amid tensions with the Philippines, operations near Taiwan…

China has flexed its muscles this month by sending an unusually large number of naval and coast guard vessels through a swathe of East Asian waters, according to security documents and officials, in moves that have unnerved regional capitals.Since early May, China deployed fleets larger than usual, including navy, coast guard and other ships near Taiwan, the southern Japanese islands and the East and South China Seas, according to three regional security officials and documents of regional military activities reviewed by Reuters.On May 21 and May 27…

Amid ongoing maritime tensions, the Philippines signaled it is open to exploring new agreements with China aimed at preserving peace in the contested South China Sea, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said Sunday during an ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur.“Anything within the scope of diplomatic or peaceful means, or cooperation, is certainly within our template,” Manalo noted, referencing possible future arrangements despite ongoing confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels.The South China Sea…

China's foreign ministry on Friday urged the Philippines to immediately stop "infringement and provocation" in the South China Sea or face China's "resolute response."The remarks came a day after Beijing and Manila traded accusations following a confrontation between two of their vessels in contested waters of the South China Sea.It was legitimate for China to take necessary measures, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a daily press conference on Friday, defending…

China and the Philippines traded accusations on Thursday following a confrontation between two of their vessels in contested waters of the South China Sea, the latest incident in a long-running maritime standoff in the strategic waterway.The Philippines' fisheries bureau said the lives of a civilian crew were put at risk when the Chinese Coast Guard fired water cannons and sideswiped a vessel as it conducted marine research around a disputed South China Sea reef.The Bureau of…

Indonesia's parliament is set to agree next week to ratify an agreement made with Vietnam that sets the boundaries of their exclusive economic zones in the contested South China Sea, a lawmaker said on Thursday.The South China Sea is a strategic waterway that has been a source of tension between China and its Southeast Asian neighbours, disrupting fishing and energy exploration in the area.Nico Siahaan, a lawmaker in the parliamentary commission overseeing the agreement, told Reuters the parliament and the government would formally agree to ratify it on Monday…

The Philippines said on Monday there was no truth to news reports that Beijing has seized control of a disputed reef in the South China Sea, after its personnel landed on the unoccupied sandbars and found no Chinese presence there.Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on Friday said its coast guard had landed on Sandy Cay as part of maritime control operations to exercise its sovereignty. It did not say China was occupying the feature.CCTV showed pictures of four coast guard personnel…

More than 14,000 Filipino and American soldiers kicked off annual military exercises on Monday for a "full battle test" between the two defense treaty allies in the face of regional security concerns, including tensions in the South China Sea.The annual "Balikatan" (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises will run for three weeks until May 9, showcasing an array of U.S. weapons that include the NMESIS anti-ship missile system and HIMARS rocket launchers.The Philippines will test its own modern missiles in live-fire exercises with American counterparts…

China and the Philippines accused each other on Tuesday of dangerous manoeuvres in a hotly disputed shoal in the South China Sea, in the latest confrontation over the waterway.A Chinese coast guard vessel sped up and manoeuvred on Monday to block the navigation route of a Philippine vessel around 36 nautical miles off the Scarborough shoal, the Philippine Coast Guard said."This incident highlights the CCG's non-compliance with the international regulations ...

The United States is deploying around 9,000 troops to the Philippines for this year's joint military exercises, as the allies strengthen ties amid tensions with China over its activities in the South China Sea and in Taiwan.The annual drills, which the Philippine military on Tuesday described as a rehearsal for national defense, will include 5,000 Filipino troops, 200 from the Australia Defence Force, and observers from the Japan Self-Defence Force.For the first time, observers…

China's coast guard said on Thursday it had allowed a Philippine civilian vessel to deliver provisions to a warship "illegally grounded" at the Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed atoll in the South China Sea.The coast guard questioned and monitored the Philippine vessel throughout its supply mission, it said in a statement, urging the Philippines to work with China to manage the maritime situation.The Philippine embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.China and the Philippines have traded barbs for months over manoeuvres at Second Thomas Shoal, an atoll within Mani