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Philippines Releases Video of Monday’s Confrontation With China Coast Guard, Sparks Outrage and Fears of Escalation

When news broke of Monday's latest confrontation between Chinese and Philippines maritime authorities in the South China Sea, it was unusual that video of the incident was not available shortly after it happened. But that changed late Wednesday afternoon when the ...

The Philippines Navy Used Armor-Plated Vessel to Protect Against Chinese Water Canons

Chinese Communist Party-run media outlets published photos of the Philippine Navy's re-supply ship which they allege was transporting construction materials to bolster the decrepit World War II-era warship that serves as Manila's outpost on the Second Thomas Shoal. What's most notable about ...

Key Players in South China Sea Confrontation Scramble to Shape the Narrative

The release of videos on Wednesday of this week's violent confrontation between Chinese and Philippines maritime authorities in the South China Sea triggered the usual mix of blame and recriminations among the major parties, but this time, there was a more ominous tone.

Myanmar Armed Groups Accuse Junta of Breaking China-Brokered Ceasefire

An alliance of Myanmar ethnic armed groups has accused the junta of repeatedly violating a China-brokered ceasefire in the north of the country this month and causing civilian casualties. Beijing brokered a truce between the junta and the so-called "Three Brotherhood ...

Chinese Sailors Wield Sticks, Axe in Disputed Sea Clash With Philippines

Chinese coast guard sailors brandishing weapons, including sticks, knives, and an axe, clashed with Philippine naval vessels near a strategic reef in the South China Sea, dramatic new footage released by Manila showed. Manila said the clash took place Monday as ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

Revealing Reactions to China’s Festival of Optics

In terms of geopolitical optics, this week was nothing short of a banquet. It served up at least two sets of images that seem to crystallize our historical moment and that will live on in the Wikipedia of history as shorthand for where the world was in 2025.
One is the waves of uncannily synchronized soldiers and a bewildering array of high-tech weaponry gliding down Beijing’s Chang’an Avenue. The ...

China’s ‘Salami-Slicing Strategy’ Against Philippines in Disputed Sea

By Matthew Walsh Ramming boats, building militarised islands, and threatening perceived trespassers -- China is escalating confrontations with the Philippines in a bid to push it out of the South China Sea, analysts say. One ...

Philippines Says Chinese Coast Guard Boarded Navy Vessels in South China Sea

The Philippine military said Wednesday the Chinese coast guard rammed and boarded Filipino navy boats in a violent confrontation in the South China Sea this week in which a Filipino sailor lost a thumb. Monday's incident was the latest in a ...