South China Sea NewsWire
The aggregator service for balanced and insightful news
Security
Tensions flare as Chinese and Philippine ships collide near disputed shoal in South China Sea
16 September, 2025
China’s coast guard accused a Philippine ship of deliberately ramming one of its vessels on Tuesday near Scarborough Shoal, a disputed territory that both countries claim in the South China Sea. The Philippines denied it, saying China’s forces used powerful water cannons that damaged its ship and injured a crew member.
Diplomacy
Taiwan reaffirms sovereignty amid PRC plans for South China Sea nature reserve
11 September, 2025
The Taiwan government on Thursday reiterated its sovereignty claim over the South China Sea, after China on Tuesday approved a proposal to create a national nature reserve on a shoal in the disputed area.
Diplomacy
Philippines ‘strongly protests’ China nature preserve in South China Sea
11 September, 2025
Beijing’s plans to build a nature preserve at the disputed Scarborough Shoal have drawn ire from the Philippines.
Environment
Cambodia urges stronger ASEAN unity to tackle climate, environmental challenges
3 September, 2025
Climate change, biodiversity loss and plastic pollution continue to threaten the livelihoods of ASEAN people and the integrity of its natural ecosystems, warned Minister of Environment Eang Sophalleth, as he addressed the 18th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment on September 3, in Langkawi, Malaysia.
Security
Submarines, warships, naval aircraft: Vietnam shows off maritime muscle at independence day parade
2 September, 2025
For the first time on September 2, Vietnam’s maritime strength was on public display, featuring submarines, warships and naval aircraft – in addition to the traditional military parade in Hanoi and an aerial display – to mark the country’s 80th national day.
Diplomacy
Philippines heralds opening of South Korean-run shipyard
2 September, 2025
The Philippines on September 2 opened a shipyard its president sees as part of a shipbuilding revival and its South Korean operator views as a future “strategic hub” for its expanding relationship with the United States.
Diplomacy
Beijing sends warning on Taiwan, South China Sea across bow of UK-Japan defence ties
29 August, 2025
China has taken aim at Britain’s growing ties with Japan, warning it against any involvement in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a British aircraft carrier made a port call in Tokyo.
Diplomacy
Japan mulls over exporting used destroyers to South-east Asia partners
13 August, 2025
Japan is considering the export of used Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyers to South-east Asia, government sources said on Aug 13, in an effort to strengthen security ties with countries in the region where key sea lanes are located.
Security
Chinese ships collide while chasing Philippine vessel in South China Sea; Manila releases vide
12 August, 2025
A Chinese navy vessel collided with one from its own coast guard while chasing a Philippine patrol boat in the South China Sea on Monday, Manila said, releasing dramatic video footage of the confrontation.
Diplomacy
Malaysia steps up ways to ‘confront threats’ in South China Sea, but will this rock the boat?
12 August, 2025
Malaysia is making maritime security a key national development pillar after sustained Chinese pressure and illegal fishing by Vietnamese vessels in its exclusive economic zones, analysts say.
Diplomacy
Thailand and Cambodia sign 13-point ceasefire agreement
7 August, 2025
Both sides express hope that agreed terms will lead to restoration of peaceful coexistence along border.
Diplomacy
Malaysia agrees to boost tech, LNG purchases from U.S. as part of trade deal
4 August, 2025
According to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia will spend up to US$150bil in the next five years to buy equipment from U.S. multinationals for its semiconductor, aerospace and data centre sectors, part of a deal with Washington to cut tariffs, its trade minister said on Monday.
Security
Philippines, India conduct joint exercises in South China Sea
4 August, 2025
China rebuked the move in the disputed waterway, which was held ahead of a Philippine state visit to New Delhi.
Diplomacy
China and Russia start joint drills in Sea of Japan
3 August, 2025
China’s defence ministry has said this year’s exercises are aimed at “further deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership” between the two countries.
Diplomacy
China and Vietnam plan first joint army drill amid U.S. tariffs
21 July, 2025
According to Lawrence Chungnin Taipei, China and Vietnam plan to hold their first joint army training exercise this month, a sign of deepening military ties as the two countries grapple with U.S. tariff policies.
Security
Taiwan launches ‘urban resilience’ drills to test war readiness amid PLA pressure
17 July, 2025
According to Lawrence Chungnin Taipei, Taiwan launched sweeping civil defence exercises across Taipei and several northern cities, testing society-wide wartime readiness and urban resilience in the face of escalating pressure from Beijing.
Diplomacy
Cambodia Bans Thai Imports Amid Escalating Border Tensions
17 July, 2025
According to Phontham Visapra, the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia has announced the latest temporary ban on specific goods imported from Thailand.
Security
US to build fast boat base near South China Sea
16 July, 2025
Zita Ballinger Fletcher reports that the U.S. plans to finance and construct a fast boat facility on the western coast of Palawan in the Philippines, in a seeming bid to counter increasingly aggressive Chinese activities in the South China Sea
Security
Wang Yi underlines Beijing’s rejection of 2016 South China Sea ruling
12 July, 2025
Chinese foreign minister says ruling was ‘manipulated by external powers’, while embassy in Manila dismisses it as ‘political circus’.
Security
South China Sea: expect ‘more provocations’ from Manila, and Hanoi could be next
11 July, 2025
Beijing ‘must be prepared to respond’, and it might be headed for confrontation with Vietnam over land reclamation, analyst warns
Security
Trump to host Philippine president to discuss trade and security in Asia
11 July, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump will host his Philippine counterpart in the White House this month to discuss how the longtime treaty allies can further deepen their security and economic engagements, Philippine officials said Friday.
Diplomacy
Malaysia says China will sign Southeast Asia’s nuke-free treaty
10 July, 2025
According to Kuala Lumpur, China will sign into a Southeast Asian treaty banning nuclear weapons in the region as soon as all documentation is ready, Malaysia’s foreign minister said on Thursday.
Diplomacy
ASEAN, China deepen relations amid US tariffs and global trade tensions
10 July, 2025
ASEAN foreign ministers on Thursday emphasized the strength of the bloc’s relationship with China as they sought to deepen ties with Beijing against the backdrop of new punitive “reciprocal” tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Security
US Flexes Air Power With Ally in Contested South China Sea
8 July, 2025
The United States deployed stealth fighter jets to the Philippines—its mutual defense treaty ally—for a joint war game amid increasing Chinese military activity in the South China Sea. The drill, Cope Thunder, comes after China conducted a “combat patrol” around the disputed Scarborough Shoal—located near the Philippines—in the South China Sea last week.
Security
Rising Tides: Japan-Philippines Defense Deal Signals Strategic Shift in South China Sea Dynamics
6 July, 2025
According toi Charles Hayes, Japan’s transfer of destroyers to the Philippines signals a strategic push to counter China and deepen regional defense ties. It aligns with U.S. Indo-Pacific goals and reflects ASEAN’s military modernization trend. Investors should watch defense, cybersecurity, and infrastructure sectors for growth.
Security
South China Sea A Matter Of “Great Concern” To Quad: S Jaishankar
3 July, 2025
Mr Jaishankar said the United States, India, Australia and Japan all share a “common priority” to ensure that the waterway remains peaceful and free of conflict, given their shared interests in the region.
Security
‘Quad’ nations announce critical minerals initiative amid China concerns
2 July, 2025
Top diplomats from “the Quad” nations of Australia, India, Japan and the United States have agreed to work more closely to secure supply chains for critical minerals, including rare earths — a sector dominated by China — in a bid to cut back their reliance on Beijing.
Security
China sends warships beyond second island chain for the first time into Western Pacific
1 July, 2025
For the first time, two of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft carriers, the Liaoning and the Shandong, have simultaneously operated in the Western Pacific, crossing the second island chain in what analysts call a major strategic escalation, according to Taipei Times.
Diplomacy
Cambodia Officially Requests ICJ Intervention in Thai Border Dispute
16 June, 2025
Cambodia’s government says that it has officially requested the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to resolve its border disputes with Thailand, amid a steady ratcheting up of tension between the two neighbors.
Security
China’s military conducts patrols in South China Sea, warns Philippines
16 June, 2025
China’s military held joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea on Saturday, a spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theater Command said.
Diplomacy
Manila’s provocations belie Marcos’ positive words
11 June, 2025
Philippine President Marcos Jr.’s friendly remarks on China-Philippines relations contrast sharply with his government’s pro-U.S. actions, especially in the South China Sea, which have strained bilateral ties. China urges the Philippines to align its words with actions, stop acting as a U.S. proxy, and resolve disputes through dialogue rather than confrontation.
Security
Chinese Navy conducts training in Western Pacific
10 June, 2025
China has sent its two carrier strike groups to the Western Pacific Ocean to carry out training operations, a spokesman for the People’s Liberation Army Navy said on Tuesday.
Security
South China Sea: Filipino islanders face ‘very dangerous’ life under Beijing’s shadow
10 June, 2025
Filipino forces and villagers in the South China Sea face isolation and territorial tensions as they resist China’s growing dominance.
Diplomacy
China ‘has a lot of trust building to do’ in South China Sea, Philippines says
3 June, 2025
Manila’s defence chief says he wants China to engage in good faith. But observers note that trust is a two-way street.
Diplomacy
EU-Philippines defence dialogue targets foreign interference and cyber threats
02 Jun, 2025
The Philippines and the European Union (EU) have agreed to establish a dialogue to deepen cooperation on defence and security, aimed at combating emerging challenges such as cyber threats, foreign interference, and information manipulation, Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.
Security
Cambodia to file complaint with ICJ over Thai border dispute
02 Jun, 2025
Cambodia will file a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over border disputes with Thailand, Prime Minister Hun Manet said on Monday (Jun 2), after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a recent frontier clash.
Diplomacy
Timor-Leste to be granted full Asean membership in October, says Malaysia PM Anwar
28 May, 2025
Timor-Leste will become Asean’s 11th member state, with full membership to be granted at the next regional meeting in Kuala Lumpur later in 2025.
Security
Indonesia and France set up defense agreement for fighter jets, submarines
28 May, 2025
Indonesia and France have signed a letter of intent to enhance defense cooperation, particularly in the development of strategic weaponry, including the procurement of Rafale fighter jets and Scorpene submarines.
Diplomacy
ASEAN agrees to lower barriers to boost regional trade
28 May, 2025
Southeast Asian leaders are pushing to deepen economic integration at a regional summit that began Monday, approving an upgraded trade agreement and endorsing a new long-term vision in their first meeting since Washington announced sweeping tariffs in April.
Security
Philippines, US hold joint maritime drills in South China Sea
21 May, 2025
Coast Guard vessels of the Philippines and the United States have taken part for the first time in joint maritime exercises with naval and air force units in the contested South China Sea.
Environment
The islanders facing China’s menacing presence on their horizon
21 May, 2025
Pagasa Island, controlled by the Philippines, has around 300 residents and holds strategic importance in the South China Sea. It faces ongoing pressure from China’s military and maritime forces, which restrict local fishing activities.
Security
China supervises Philippines’ resupply mission to warship
20 May, 2025
China Coast Guard said on Tuesday that it supervised the Philippines’ resupply mission of daily provisions to the country’s illegally grounded warship in Ren’ai Reef in the South China Sea on Friday.
Diplomacy
Singapore’s HDB corridors compared with South China Sea row? US embassy slammed over video
20 May, 2025
The video compares rule violations over cluttering along HDB corridors with what it refers to as China’s illegal actions in the waterway.
Diplomacy
No more South China Sea ‘flip-flopping’? Philippines plans long-term post-Marcos strategy
12 May, 2025
After swinging between Beijing and Washington, Manila seeks a steadier maritime policy that will endure beyond the current administration.
Diplomacy
PH warns: Any China attempt to construct in Scarborough Shoal a ‘red line’
6 May, 2025
Any attempt by China to undertake construction to turn Scarborough Shoal into an island will cross a “red line” by the Philippines that would spark regional instability, a Philippine official told an online forum.
Each month, South China Sea NewsWire identifies and features the most crucial articles on political, economic, and other developments in the South China Sea and surrounding regions. We provide top-level summaries of articles for easy access to selected news, conferences, podcasts, videos and integrated media. We offer a reading experience that favors discovery over opinion. South China Sea NewsWire is powered by article data from the Perigon News API. Perigon’s AI-enriched technology provides structured, intelligently classified news data in real time from over 80,000 global sources.
