South China Sea NewsWire
The monthly roundup of what matters
17 June, 2025
CSIS | Fifteenth Annual South China Sea Conference
The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) hosted the Fifteenth Annual South China Sea Conference on June 17, 2025. Multiple panels presented throughout the day on a variety of topics, including the state of play in the South China Sea, legal developments and dispute management, evolving alliance networks, and the role of outside parties. The South China Sea NewsWire participated by attending and asking questions during the Conference.
31 May, 2025
Special Presentation | Charm Offensive Amid the Tariff War – China’s Diplomatic Engagement in Southeast Asia and the Strategic Echo from the United States
In the South China Sea NewsWire’s first original report, research associate Xinlin Sherry Chen considers Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent trip to Southeast Asia as part of Beijing’s overall strategy to reinforce China’s position in Southeast Asia, the methods Southeast Asian countries are using to remain non-aligned, and the potential steps the United States could take in response. In this video, Sherry walks through the core arguments and key evidence presented in her report.
25 May, 2025
Why global tensions are rising in the South China Sea amid recent clashes?
Nearly a quarter of global maritime trade goes through the South China Sea. In recent years, it’s become the site of clashes between Chinese coast guard ships and Philippine vessels as Beijing tries to exert its claim to virtually the entire sea despite international law. John Yang speaks with Andrew Chubb, Asia Society fellow and senior lecturer at Lancaster University, for more.
24 January, 2025
Why Should We Care About China’s Gray Zone Warefare?
This video features SCSNW Advisor Ray Powell on in his podcast “Why Should We Care About the Indo-Pacific?” and co-host Jim Carouso examining how China exploits the maritime “gray zone” to pursue its aggressive and expansionist policies without triggering open conflict. They are joined by special guest Todd Helmus, senior behavioral scientist at RAND.
4 January, 2025
Why Should We Care About the U.S.-Japan Alliance?
This video features SCSNW Advisor Ray Powell on in his podcast “Why Should We Care About the Indo-Pacific?” and co-host Jim Carouso discussing the importance of the United States-Japan alliance with Rahm Emmanuel, the current U.S. Ambassador to Japan.
18 November, 2024
Trump and U.S. Policy in the South China Sea
The U.S. has been stepping up security cooperation with the Philippines in light of China’s increasingly aggressive activities in the South China Sea, But how will the incoming Trump administration deal with these tensions? TaiwanPlus speaks to Ray Powell, director of the Sealight Initiative at Stanford University.
7 November, 2024
Manila Dialogue on the South China Sea: Should the world care about the rule of law?
Why should nations uninvolved in the disputes in the South China Sea concern themselves with the issue? The third panel at the Manila Dialogue on the South China Sea aims to discuss the intricacies of foreign policies on the matter.
7 November, 2024
Manila hosts dialogue on South China Sea
Government officials, foreign policy experts, and key decision makers from across Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific gather in the Philippines for The Manila Dialogue on the South China Sea from November 6 to 8.
2 September, 2024
Philippines and China trade blame over confrontation in South China Sea
As reported by the South China Morning Post, China and the Philippines have accused each other of ramming their ships in the South China Sea. The collision between a Philippine coastguard vessel and a Chinese Coast Guard ship occurred on August 30, 2024, near the disputed Sabina Shoal. It was the fifth maritime confrontation between China and the Philippines in a month.
27 August, 2024
Chinese Air Incursions
In this clip from TaiwanPlus News, hosts report on recent aerial incursions by Chinese military aircraft into Japanese air space, the growth of potential PRC spy rings in Taiwan, and military training exercises taken by the military of the ROC (Taiwan) in response to potential Chinese invasion.
26 June, 2024
Deep Sea Mining: Policy Considerations and Implications for the United States
SCSNW Editor-in-Chief James Borton hosts a panel at the US-Asia Institute with five deepsea mining professionals and policy experts to consider the benefits and drawbacks of deepsea mining, where the United States currently stands compared to China and other states, and what areas of development show promise for this new sector of economic activity.
8 June, 2024
Why Should We Care About the Pacific Island Countries?
This video features SCSNW Advisor Ray Powell on in his podcast “Why Should We Care About the Indo-Pacific?” discussing the strategic importance of the Pacific Island nations, China’s growing relations with them, and the need of the United States to avoid losing them to China through neglect.
5 June, 2024
Maritime expert Ray Powell says China’s gray zone tactics are “escalating” and “moving closer to PH”
This video features SCSNW Advisor Ray Powell on One PH discussing the increased intensity and geographic closeness of Chinese gray zone tactics at Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea.
20 May, 2024
South China Sea: A $5 Trillion Geopolitical Hotspot
This video featuring SCSNW Advisor Lucio Pitlo III discusses the South China Sea, why the region is so important, and the nature of the geopolitical disputes within.
25 June, 2023
Why is Secretary Blinken’s trip to China so Important?
Susan Thornton, a veteran diplomat and former Senior Fellow at the Paul Tsai China Center, joins the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations to share her views.
Our monthly news aggregator identifies the central articles on news and regional developments. Our team of editors offer concise summaries for easy access to articles, conferences, podcasts, videos and integrated media.
