World News by Wild Rose

The Philippines is preparing to give its coastguard more responsibilities in the contested South China Sea even as the agency faces a more basic problem: whether it has enough ships, aircraft and personnel to carry them out. The proposed overhaul comes as the coastguard is being stretched by increasingly demanding operations around Philippine-claimed waters, while funding constraints threaten to limit its ability to keep its existing assets at sea. That tension is evident in the 2027 budget. The...

The ocean drilling ship Mengxiang has returned from its first expedition in the South China Sea, where it set a national depth record and obtained basalt core samples that could help to unravel the region’s tectonic history. The 30-day expedition organised by the China Geological Survey tested the operational capabilities of the world’s most powerful deep-ocean drilling ship, according to a report published on Monday by the official ministry newspaper Science and Technology Daily. During the...

Beijing deployed its advanced WZ-7 high-altitude reconnaissance drone in the South China Sea for the first time during drills near the disputed Scarborough Shoal on Sunday. The People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theatre Command announced on Sunday that it had conducted joint air and naval exercises in the waters and airspace around the shoal earlier in the day. In recent years, Scarborough Shoal – known as Huangyan Island in China and Panatag Shoal in the Philippines – has been a major...

Chinese and US embassies in the Philippines exchanged sharp accusations on Sunday following Washington’s defence of its treaty ally after Thursday’s stand-off in the South China Sea. In a written statement issued on Sunday, the US embassy in Manila backed the Philippines and said Beijing’s “dangerous blocking and irresponsible manoeuvres” had threatened a collision and prevented a lawful resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal, one of the flashpoints in the South China Sea disputes. The...

Southeast Asia is welcoming the thaw in US-China ties continuing after the Xi-Trump summit, with analysts saying the region could feel less pressure alongside fewer open frictions between the two over the South China Sea. Yet, caution persists as the summit left deeper disputes unresolved. “Stable great-power relations – competitive but with sturdy guardrails – will create more legroom for third countries to navigate an increasingly complex world,” according to Lucio Blanco Pitlo III, a research...

Brunei’s measured defence ties with Beijing reflect its low-key approach to South China Sea disputes, with analysts saying that goals such as peacekeeping offer the safest room for both sides to maintain diplomacy. A meeting between Bruneian and Chinese defence officials in Beijing last week, when both nations pledged closer practical cooperation and support for regional stability, underscored that tact. But observers also expect ties to remain modest, constrained by maritime claims and Bandar...

Philippine Coast Guard accuses China of dangerous military manoeuvres near Palawan province.

China and the Philippines exchanged blame over a clash on Friday in disputed waters in the South China Sea, further fuelling tensions over the strategic waterway that has become a dangerous regional flashpoint. In a brief statement released on Friday afternoon, China’s coastguard accused a Philippine vessel of deliberately ramming a Chinese patrol vessel near the contested Sabina Shoal. “Philippine vessel No 3015 intentionally adjusted its course and suddenly accelerated to cut across the bow of...

The Philippines said a China Coast Guard vessel rammed a government fisheries boat that was on a mission to deliver fuel to Filipino fishermen in the disputed South China Sea.

Japan’s proposed port upgrades in Indonesia’s Natuna Islands reflect Tokyo’s push to bolster South China Sea security without building an overt military footprint. However, analysts stress that the move does not mean Jakarta is siding with Japan in its efforts to contain Beijing. Japan, which earlier this year eased its restrictions on lethal weapons exports, is ramping up security cooperation with Indonesia – a crucial bellwether for Southeast Asia. The expanding partnership includes joint...

China confirmed on Wednesday that a research vessel conducted a month-long, wide-ranging geological survey in the waters near Scarborough Shoal, a South China Sea flashpoint between Beijing and Manila. The Haiyang Dizhi Shihao, or Marine Geology No 10, carried out the survey from August 11 to September 8, with the aim of “gaining a comprehensive understanding of the basic geological features and ecological environment” of waters under its jurisdiction, the Ministry of Natural Resources said on...

China should use its maritime militia as an extra force to collect information and maintain a regular presence in the South China Sea, where it is coming into frequent conflict with the Philippines. That was the suggestion Wu Shicun, the founding president of China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies, made on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, an annual defence gathering in the capital attended by security officials and researchers from nearly 100 countries...

A leading South China Sea analyst has urged Chinese think tanks to recruit AI talent for the “public opinion war” over the disputed waters. Wu Shicun, the founding president of China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said Chinese humanities and social science research had traditionally operated in a “lone-wolf” fashion and lacked interdisciplinary diversity. “The situation in the South China Sea is likely to evolve into a complex, multilayered competition … Cognitive and public...

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Beijing tells Manila to ‘stop lying’ after minister exposes South China Sea note China has accused Philippine officials of “grandstanding and lying” after Manila’s defence secretary publicly read aloud a Chinese diplomat’s note on the...

The Chinese military appeared to fire flares near a Philippine aircraft operating close to the Subi and Mischief Reefs, according to the Philippines’ coastguard, as tensions continue to spread to other South China Sea hotspots. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) released video clips on Thursday of footage which it said had been filmed from the aircraft on Monday. PCG spokesman Jay Tarriela said on social media that the unarmed plane was on a maritime domain awareness flight over part of the...

The Philippines’ military modernisation road map is set for delays over budget constraints, with critics calling out what they say is President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s “lip service” approach and questioning his commitment to the ambitious project. In 2024, Marcos approved a revised 1.9 trillion Philippine pesos (US$30 billion) plan to acquire newer military assets until 2034, aiming to enhance the capability of the military to project power in parts of the South China Sea that Manila considers...

Vietnam faces heightened security in the South China Sea amid reports of construction works in the Paracels archipelago – which Beijing calls Xisha Islands – with analysts saying that the latest developments could alter the strategic balance in the contested waters. Hanoi voiced its strong objection after reports citing satellite imagery said new Chinese infrastructure had appeared on Yagong Island, called Ba Ba Island by Vietnam. “Vietnam ⁠resolutely opposes this, has made serious...