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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

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

China unveils ultra-cheap ‘all-iron flow battery’ for renewable energy storage

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A close-up view of multiple battery energy storage system (BESS) containers in utility installation. They are designed to support renewable integration, load balancing and grid electricity. Photo: Handout

China launches war on Alzheimer’s that may affect 10% of population by 2050

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Chinese researchers tasked with the job of creating four new pharmaceutical drugs to treat the world’s fastest growing form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease. Photo: Getty Images

Scientists in China create a predator-like material to hunt for uranium in ocean

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Researchers have developed a microscopic material capable of swimming through water and hunting uranium ions. Photo: Shutterstock Images

China builds world’s first ‘coal battery’ with zero emission

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A team of Chinese researchers have for the first time built what they call a zero-carbon-emission direct coal fuel cell, or ZC-DCFC. Photo: Shutterstock Images
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China’s YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile system has a range of 1,000 to 1,500km, a cruising speed of around Mach 6 and a terminal dive speed reaching Mach 10. Photo: Handout
China's military weapons

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

Video of PLA Navy strike tests emerges as US, allies take part in Balikatan 2026, marking Japan’s first-ever operational role in the drills.

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China’s military drills

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

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The Philippines

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

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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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The Janes ads appeared to be part of efforts linked to China to draw unsuspecting Filipino defence specialists into giving up key information. Photo: Handout
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 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.

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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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Jaime FlorCruz said relations should be “stable and predictable”. Photo: Handout
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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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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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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“The era of imposing security from across the oceans has come to an end,” Iran’s senior adviser Ali Akbar Velayati has said. Photo: EPA
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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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
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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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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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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Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) welcomes Vietnamese President To Lam to Beijing at a ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua via AP
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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Illustration: Craig Stephens
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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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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US President Donald Trump announces the US Navy’s “Golden Fleet” battleship programme at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, in December 2025. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS
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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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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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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Philippine Navy spokesman Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad speaks next to a slide presentation of seized yellow bottles suspected to contain cyanide in waters of Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea, during a press conference in Manila on Monday. Photo: AFP
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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Soldiers fire a howitzer during the annual joint “Balikatan” military exercises between the US and Philippine troops in Aparri, Cagayan province, in May 2025. Photo: Reuters
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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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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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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US President Donald Trump (centre) stands for a group photo with Southeast Asian leaders at the 13th Asean-United States Summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, 2025. Photo: AFP
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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Soldiers from the US, Philippines and Japan line up for the start of this year’s Salaknib military drill at Fort Magsaysay in the Philippines, on April 6. Photo: Handout
China's military weapons

Move over, Hercules: China’s new Y-30 aims to outmuscle America’s best

PLA’s four-engine turboprop described as outperforming US counterpart in engine power, payload capacity, structure and material.

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Science

Is China about to launch a rocket from South China Sea international waters?

Methane risks, sonic boom and rocket debris make the open ocean an attractive option for increasing launch traffic.

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