US Offers ASEAN Surveillance Help, Then Praises China Ties

The United States on Saturday told Southeast Asian defence ministers it is ready to share technology and information to help them watch Chinese activity in the disputed South China Sea and respond together to what it called Beijing’s “destabilising actions.” Hours later, US Defense Secretary Pete ...

Philippines, Canada Sign Visiting Troops Deal

The Philippines signed a visiting forces agreement with Canada on Sunday, the latest in a series of pacts aimed at countering Beijing's assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea. The Philippines and China have engaged in frequent clashes in the crucial ...

U.S. Navy Fighter Jet and Helicopter Crash in South China Sea

The U.S. Navy said a Navy fighter jet and a helicopter crashed in South China Sea on Sunday. The separate incidents happened about 30 minutes apart in waters that China says fall under its sovereignty using what it calls the “nine-dash line.” “All personnel involved are ...

Australia Chides China Over Mid-Air Incident

Australia on Monday rebuked Beijing for "unsafe" military conduct, accusing a Chinese warplane of dropping flares near an Australian surveillance plane over the South China Sea. The Australian Poseidon was flying a surveillance patrol over the South China Sea on Sunday ...

Philippines Says Chinese Ship Rammed Government Vessel in Disputed Sea

Manila's coast guard accused a Chinese ship of deliberately ramming a Philippine government vessel anchored near an island in the South China Sea on Sunday. Confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels occur frequently in the disputed South China Sea, which Beijing ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

How to Lure Chinese Financing Back to the Global South: Report

Global South countries face increasing financing pressure, endangering their ability to keep developing while also implementing measures to deal with a growing climate crisis. The disruption of global trade is coupled with a larger megatrend: flows of international capital to the developing world have turned negative. This means that countries are now routinely paying more to service loans than they receive in disbursements.

The vast majority of Global South borrowers ...

Japan, Philippines Inaugural Joint Exercises Begin as China Announces Plans for South China Sea Drills

Japan and the Philippines kicked off a five-day joint air force exercise this week on the central island of Cebu, marking the first time the two militaries have trained together since a Reciprocal Access Agreement was signed last year. The drills, known ...

China Uses Green Messaging to Bolster South China Sea Claims Amid Nature Preserve Push

There's been a noticeable increase in recent weeks in the number of environmentally themed news stories published by China's state-backed outlets Xinhua and CGTN, focused specifically on the South China Sea. On Tuesday, Xinhua distributed a video that showcased newly hatched ...

China Sends Pointed Message with South China Sea Flag-Raising

The Chinese Coast Guard held a flag-raising ceremony to mark China’s National Day off the Scarborough Shoal, a zone in the South China Sea also claimed by the Philippines. The ceremony, which was broadcast on the state TV channel CCTV and social media, seemed designed to ...

War of Words Follows Reports of Collision in South China Sea

The Chinese Coast Guard said a Philippine ship deliberately rammed one of its ships during an altercation near the disputed Scarborough Shoal on Tuesday. The Chinese side alleged that more than ten vessels owned by the Philippine government entered the waters around the shoal from different directions 

Philippines Says Water Cannon Attack Injured Crew; China Alleges Illegal Incursion at Disputed Shoal

The Philippines said one person was injured Tuesday when a water cannon attack by a China Coast Guard vessel shattered a window on the bridge of a fisheries bureau ship near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea. Two Chinese ...

China Warns the Philippines After Drills with U.S. and Japan in EEZ

China’s military on Sunday warned the Philippines to stop “provoking incidents” and bringing in “external forces” in the South China Sea. The warning from China came a day after Manila, the United States, and Japan finished joint maritime drills. The drill ...

Rubio Backs Philippines Against ‘Coercive’ Sea Nature Reserve

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday backed the Philippines in protesting Beijing's plan for a "nature reserve" on disputed Scarborough Shoal, saying it was part of a "coercive" strategy in the South China Sea.
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