South China Sea NewsWire
The aggregator service for balanced and insightful news
Security
Philippines uses the media spotlight to fight back against China
20 November, 2024
Best to control the narrative. That is why in an age of information warfare, lawfare and gray-zone conflict, ensuring that your version of the truth prevails in the media is critical to claiming legitimacy and support, both domestic and international.
Diplomacy
Philippines, United States sign military intelligence-sharing deal
18 November, 2024
The Philippines and the United States signed on Monday a military intelligence-sharing deal in a further deepening of defense ties between the two nations facing common security challenges in the region.
Security
China’s Heavyweight Coast Guard Ships Bring Muscle to Sea Disputes
17 November, 2024
As China faced off with its Pacific neighbors this year, two ships provided an intimidating presence: The world’s longest coast guard patrol ships. One hundred and twenty-three feet longer than their American equivalents, they have become floating symbols and enforcers of Beijing’s territorial ambitions.
Security
Japanese Troops Will Train With US and Australian Forces as Concerns Over China Grow
17 November, 2024
Japan will send troops for joint training with U.S. Marines and Australian forces in northern Australia, the countries’ defense ministers said Sunday, as they expressed concern about a spate of confrontations with China’s increasingly assertive military.
Security
Taiwan, democracy, development are China’s ‘red lines’, Xi tells Biden
16 November, 2024
China’s President Xi Jinping told his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden that the issues of Taiwan, democracy, human rights and rights to development are “red lines” for China and not to be challenged, the official state media Xinhua said on Sunday.
Security
Russia Stages Military Drills in Contested South China Sea
15 November, 2024
The Russian navy continued its deployment in the Indo-Pacific region as a detachment of warships trained for air defense in the South China Sea, according to a report on Thursday.
Diplomacy
Indonesian president says he will safeguard sovereignty in South China Sea
14 November, 2024
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said he would “always safeguard our sovereignty” when asked about the issue of the South China Sea, adding partnerships are better than conflicts and that “we respect all powers”.
Diplomacy
China holds combat drills at a disputed shoal west of the Philippines
13 November, 2024
China held sea and air combat drills Wednesday at disputed Scarborough Shoal, an uninhabited area of reefs and rocks it had seized from the Philippines in the South China Sea.
Diplomacy
Philippines says China is pushing it to cede claims in South China Sea
12 November, 2024
China is stepping up pressure on the Philippines to concede its sovereign rights in the South China Sea, Manila’s Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Tuesday after meeting his Australian counterpart in Canberra.
Diplomacy
Indonesia says it has no overlapping South China Sea claims with China, despite deal
11 November, 2024
Indonesia said on Monday it does not recognise China’s claims over the South China Sea, despite signing a maritime development deal with Beijing, as some analysts warned the pact risked compromising its sovereign rights.
Diplomacy
Tensions over Beijing’s continued detention of Vietnam fishermen
10 November, 2024
China’s continued detention of Vietnamese fishermen serves as a warning to Hanoi against persisting with land reclamation activities in the South China Sea, analysts say, noting that while the arrest of fishermen is a common occurrence, Hanoi’s public appeals to Beijing for their release are a new development.
Diplomacy
Marcos signs laws charting PH maritime zones, sea lanes
8 November, 2024
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday signed the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act. To be known as Republic Act (RA) No. 12064, the Philippine Maritime Zones Act aims to declare the country’s maritime zones in accordance with the standards set by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Special Event
The Return of Donald Trump and its Implications for U.S.-China Relations
8 November, 2024
On November 5, Donald Trump was returned to the White House with a resounding victory over Kamala Harris. As the 45th president of the United States, Trump had brought the era of engagement in U.S.-China relations to an unceremonious close and declared China to be a revisionist power that was engaged in long term strategic competition with the United States. The era of $370 billion of tariff raises and hard-hitting technology denials, initially trained on the telecoms giant Huawei, was initiated thereafter. What will Trump have up his sleeve this time around, as the 47th president of the United States?
Diplomacy
Philippines confident in US alliance under Trump amid China tensions, envoy says
7 November, 2024
The Philippines expects U.S. policy in the Indo-Pacific and support for its treaty ally amid South China Sea tensions to remain steady under Donald Trump, driven by bipartisan resolve in Washington, its ambassador to the U.S. said on Thursday.
Diplomacy
Malaysia complains to Vietnam over South China Sea reef expansion, sources say
5 November, 2024
Malaysia has sent a complaint letter to Vietnam over its alleged expansion of a South China Sea reef that both countries claim as their own, two officials told Reuters, in a rare bilateral escalation not involving China.
Security
Philippine military drills to seize an island in the South China Sea
4 November, 2024
The Philippine military opened two weeks of combat drills Monday that would include seizing an island in the disputed South China Sea and likely be frowned upon by China.
Security
China’s PLA navy perform first dual aircraft formation exercise in South China Sea
2 November, 2024
China’s aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong carried out dual aircraft carrier formation exercises for the first time in the South China Sea, the PLA navy said, a move that sets China’s navy up for more diverse and complex missions.
Diplomacy
China warns of deep-sea spying devices, underwater ‘lighthouses’ that guide foreign submarines
29 October, 2024
China’s Ministry of State Security said on Tuesday that it had retrieved spying devices both on the ocean surface and in the depths of the sea, including underwater “lighthouses” that could guide the transit of foreign submarines.
Diplomacy
Philippines confident in US security policy continuity regardless of election
28 October, 2024
The Philippines is confident in the continuity of U.S. policies in the Asia-Pacific region after the U.S. presidential election and the two countries’ ties will remain strong regardless of the outcome, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said.
Security
Taipei says Chinese aircraft carrier group sailed through Taiwan Strait
25 October, 2024
A Chinese aircraft carrier group sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, Taiwan’s defense minister said, a day after Beijing held a live-fire exercise near the self-ruled island.
Security
Indonesia says its coast guard drove away Chinese ship that interrupted survey in disputed sea
24 October, 2024
Indonesian patrol ships drove a Chinese coast guard vessel away from a survey vessel in a disputed area of the South China Sea for the second time in three days, Indonesian authorities said Thursday.
Security
US, Filipino marines practice repelling an invasion from disputed South China Sea waters
23 October, 2024
U.S. and Filipino marines used live fire Tuesday to rehearse their defense against a hostile amphibious landing, less than 150 miles from the August scene of a coast guard clash between China and U.S.-ally the Philippines.
Security
Chinese Warships Put On Show of Force in South Pacific
22 October, 2024
One of the newest Chinese warships on Monday arrived in Vanuatu, an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, as China continued to expand its strategic footprint in the region.
Security
PH, Thailand agree to combat transnational crimes
19 October, 2024
The Philippines and Thailand will strengthen defense and security ties, particularly against transnational crimes, amid human trafficking incidents within Southeast Asia.
Security
China’s new naval base in Cambodia
18 October, 2024
China has steadily been working to secure its lines of communication during any future conflict. At the same time, it has always considered South East Asia as its backyard and is loath to accepting any other power in the region.
Security
New naval base for Sarawak amid rising South China Sea tensions
17 October, 2024
The federal government of Malaysia is enhancing military protection for East Malaysia by building a new naval base in Bintulu, Sarawak, amid escalating tensions with China in the South China Sea. Scheduled to be ready by 2030, the base will offer better protection for Sarawak and Sabah in the face of repeated incursions by the Chinese navy into Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the Sarawakian coast.
Security
U.S. and Philippines Hold Naval Drills with Allies in the South China Sea
17 October, 2024
The Philippines and its allies, including Canada, Japan and the U.S., kicked off the maritime phase of Exercise Sama Sama 2024 in the South China Sea this week.
Security
South Korea steps up commitment to South China Sea, with limits
16 October, 2024
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s tour of Southeast Asian countries shows Seoul has stepped up the country’s role in supporting regional security, but there are limits to what it can do to help them push back against China’s growing aggression, analysts say.
Diplomacy
Petronas’ exploration in South China Sea will continue, Malaysia PM says
15 October, 2024
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday reiterated that state energy firm Petronas will continue to conduct oil and gas exploration activities in Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea, despite objections from China.
Diplomacy
Philippine defence minister doubts China’s intent on South China Sea code
14 October, 2024
The Philippines doubts China’s intention to negotiate a regional code of conduct in the South China Sea although Manila is looking forward to continuing discussions, Defence Minister Gilberto Teodoro said on Monday.
Diplomacy
Blinken tells ASEAN the US is worried about China’s ‘dangerous’ actions in disputed sea
11 October, 2024
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Southeast Asian leaders Friday that the U.S. is concerned about China’s “increasingly dangerous and unlawful” activities in the disputed South China Sea during an annual summit meeting, and pledged the U.S. will continue to uphold freedom of navigation in the vital sea trade route.
Diplomacy
Philippines calls for urgency from China, ASEAN in negotiating South China Sea code
10 October, 2024
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr pressed Southeast Asian leaders and China at a regional summit on Thursday to urgently speed up negotiations on a code of conduct for the South China Sea, while accusing Beijing of harassment and intimidation.
Diplomacy
Blinken to discuss Myanmar, South China Sea and Ukraine at Asia summits Laos
9 October, 2024
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will represent the United States at summits with Asian leaders in Laos this week and expects to discuss human rights in Myanmar, China’s “irresponsible” behavior in the South China Sea and Ukraine, the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia said on Tuesday.
Security
China Fires Water Cannon at US Ally Near Disputed Territory
8 October, 2024
The Chinese coast guard has fired water cannons while attempting to disrupt a Philippine government mission near a contested South China Sea feature, Manila said on Tuesday.
Security
With eye on China, Malaysia pushes for new naval base in Sarawak. How will it impact their ties?
7 October, 2024
After a dormant decade, calls for a new naval base in a sleepy town in Sarawak have gathered steam in recent weeks, with Malaysia potentially eyeing a more assertive stance against Chinese pressure in resource-rich areas near the Borneo state.
Diplomacy
Malaysia says it won’t bow to China’s demands to halt oil exploration in the South China Sea
5 October, 2024
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Thursday that Malaysia will not bow to demands by China to stop its oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea as the activities are within the country’s waters. Anwar said Malaysia would continue to explain its stance following China’s accusations in a protest note in February to the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing that Kuala Lumpur had infringed on its territory.
Diplomacy
US bans Chinese steel and food-additives firms over Xinjiang human rights
4 October, 2024
The US is banning imports from two more Chinese companies over alleged human-rights abuses involving Uygurs, it was revealed on Wednesday, the latest development in America’s drive to eliminate goods made with forced labour from its supply chain.
Security
Vietnamese fishers beaten, robbed in South China Sea – state media
2 October, 2024
Ten Vietnamese fishers were violently robbed in the disputed South China Sea, state media reported Wednesday, with an official saying the attackers came from Chinese-flagged vessels.
Security
Crew of Vietnamese fishing boat injured in an attack in the South China Sea, state media say
30 September, 2024
Vietnam’s state media say a Vietnamese fishing boat was attacked in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands, which are claimed by both China and Vietnam, and 10 crew members sustained injuries
Security
New Chinese nuclear attack submarine sank during construction, US defense official says
29 September, 2024
Satellite imagery showed that China’s newest nuclear-powered attack submarine sank alongside a pier while under construction, a senior U.S. defense official said Thursday.
Diplomacy
After China meeting, Blinken says Beijing’s talk of Ukraine peace ‘doesn’t add up’
28 September, 2024
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored strong U.S. concerns about China’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base in talks on Friday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, saying Beijing’s talk of peace in Ukraine “doesn’t add up.”
Security
China Releases Photo of Rare ICBM Test in Pacific
26 September, 2024
In a rare move, China on Thursday published a photograph showing the previous day’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile that can reach most of the continental United States.
Security
PLA sends South China Sea commander to US for first time in over 2 years
25 September, 2024
Chinese General Wu Yanan attended Indo-Pacific defence meeting in Hawaii and had ‘candid exchange of views’ with US Admiral Samuel Paparo
Security
Russia, China warships enter Sea of Okhotsk for drills, Interax reports
24 September, 2024
A detachment of warships of Russia’s Pacific Fleet and the Chinese Navy entered the Sea of Okhotsk in the western Pacific as part of joint navy exercises, Russia’s Interfax agency reported on Tuesday, citing the Pacific Fleet’s press service.
Diplomacy
US Ally Mounts Fresh Challenge to China at Disputed Territory
23 September, 2024
The Philippines has successfully resumed its coast guard presence at Sabina Shoal, of the South China Sea’s Spratly Islands that is fiercely contested by China.
Special Briefing
Biden and Japan’s Kishida discuss shared concerns over South China Sea
21 September, 2024
U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida discussed diplomacy with China and their shared concerns over “coercive and destabilizing activities” in the South China Sea during a meeting on Saturday at the Quad Leaders Summit in Wilmington, the White House said.
Special Briefing
Editor’s Briefing on Significance of Quad Meeting in Delaware
20 September, 2024
SCSNW Editor-in-Chief James Borton opines on the recent meeting of Quad Leaders with U.S. President Joe Biden in Delaware. Borton further offers his thoughts on the importance of the Quad as a geopolitical grouping in the South China Sea in the face of Chinese aggression in the region.
Diplomacy
Biden, ‘Quad’ leaders to talk maritime security as China tensions grow
20 September, 2024
Tensions brewing in Asia’s trade-rich waters top the agenda as U.S. President Joe Biden welcomes leaders from Australia, India and Japan to his Delaware hometown for a diplomatic push to counter China in the waning months of his presidency.
Diplomacy
US lawmakers highlight China’s malicious intentions against US, allies in South China Sea
19 September, 2024
US lawmaker and the Chairman of the Select Committee on Strategic Competition With China, John Moolenaar has highlighted China’s interventions and malicious intentions of harming the US and countries located in the South China Sea.
Security
Philippines to continue to deploy vessels in contested South China Sea shoal
18 September, 2024
The Philippines will continuously deploy vessels in the contested Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea, its coast guard said on Monday after a Philippine ship returned to port after a five-month deployment there.
Security
Philippines in race against time to stop potential China takeover of disputed shoal
17 September, 2024
The pressure is on for the Philippines to replace a vessel it pulled out from a hotly contested shoal in the South China Sea – or risk losing a strategic area in its maritime dispute with Beijing.
Security
Philippines vessel departs disputed South China Sea shoal
17 September, 2024
The Philippine Coast Guard vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua has left Escoda Shoal, a disputed area in the South China Sea, following a five-month deployment, according to a Sunday announcement from the Philippine government. This mission, described as successful by National Maritime Council (NMC) Chairperson and Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, marks the conclusion of an extensive operation.
Security
US Trains for Drone War in Contested South China Sea
16 September, 2024
The U.S. Air Force revealed last week that its drone units have been training for an “unmanned” war in the contested South China Sea as regional tensions continue to rise.
Security
US-China military leaders hold routine talks to discuss South China Sea tensions and other issues
15 September, 2024
Military leaders from the U.S. and China met in Beijing for routine talks that only resumed in January after being suspended for two years as ties between the two countries soured. The meetings ended on Sunday and officials discussed ongoing issues such as Taiwan, the Russia-Ukraine war and clashes in the South China Sea.
Security
Manila Withdraws Coast Guard Flagship from Sabina Shoal, AIS Shows
14 September, 2024
A five-month standoff between Manila and Beijing over a disputed maritime feature in the South China Sea has entered a new phase after the Philippine Coast Guard flagship has withdrawn, according to ship spotters.
Security
Warships in South China Sea signal Germany’s willingness to counter China’s threats
13 September, 2024
Two German naval vessels are en route from South Korea to the Philippines through the South China Sea in what analysts describe as a show of Berlin’s resolve to confront Chinese threats that now extend as far as Europe.
Security
China to ‘crush’ foreign encroachment in South China Sea: military official
12 September, 2024
China will “crush” any foreign incursion into its sovereign territory including in the South China Sea, a senior Beijing military official said Thursday on the sidelines of a defence forum.
Security
Philippines calls summit of Pacific allies amid fears one ‘wrong move’ could trigger war in South China Sea
11 September, 2024
Twenty allies of the Philippines are meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York amid fears that one “wrong move” could escalate tensions in the South China Sea.
Security
US military warns Beijing against ‘dangerous’ South China Sea moves in talks
10 September, 2024
A senior US military official warned his Chinese counterpart against Beijing’s “dangerous” moves in the South China Sea during the first talks of their kind between the commanders.
Diplomacy
China says ties with Philippines at a crossroads over South China Sea
10 September, 2024
China called on the Philippines to “seriously consider the future” of a relationship “at a crossroads” in a Monday commentary published by the People’s Daily, the newspaper of the governing Communist Party, amid tensions in the South China Sea.
Enviroment
Yagi sets record as strongest autumn typhoon to hit China since 1949
9 September, 2024
Experts explained that a rare combination of factors intensified Yagi’s unprecedented strength, including active monsoons in the South China Sea, the strong moisture injected from tropical cyclones, as well as the favorable atmospheric conditions.
Diplomacy
PM Anwar Says Malaysia Will Not Halt Oil and Gas Exploration in South China Sea
6 September, 2024
The PM’s comments came after the publication of a leaked Chinese diplomatic note ordering the country to cease exploration activities in the South China Sea.
Diplomacy
Malaysia to continue South China Sea oil exploration despite Beijing’s infringement claims
5 September, 2024
Malaysia will continue its oil exploration in the South China Sea, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said, as his government launches a probe into the source of a leaked protest note sent to the country’s embassy in Beijing by China’s foreign ministry.
Diplomacy
Malaysia to investigate leak of Chinese diplomatic note over South China Sea row
4 September, 2024
Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry called Wednesday for a police investigation into a leaked diplomatic note from China over the South China Sea dispute.
Security
Analysts: China Tests US Commitment to Indo-Pacific with Maritime Operations
4 September, 2024
China’s recently increased maritime and aerial operations near the Philippines, Japan, and Taiwan is part of Beijing’s attempt to gauge the United States’ commitment to supporting allies in the Indo-Pacific region, say analysts. They noted the increased activity comes as Tokyo and Washington gear up for elections in the coming weeks.
Diplomacy
China Doubles Down After Ship Collision at South China Sea Flashpoint
3 September, 2024
China has doubled down on its claim that the Philippines is to blame for the latest coast guard collision over the weekend at what has emerged as the latest hot spot in the neighbors’ escalating territorial dispute.
Diplomacy
China urges EU to be ‘objective and fair’ on South China Sea issue
2 September, 2024
China urged the European Union to be “objective and fair” and careful with words and actions on issues in the South China Sea, after the bloc remarked on an incident that occurred over the weekend.
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.
