MANILA, Philippines — Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad stressed his position on the South China Sea dispute amid Beijing’s expanding militarization of artificial islands in the region. In an interview with The Associated Press, the 93-year-old Malaysian leader called on China to respect the free movement of ships throughout the South China Sea. Related Stories […]

WASHINGTON (Circa) — Tensions are rising in the South China Sea as China builds up military resources in contested waters and the United States Navy asserts its presence in the region, but experts warn amid a growing list of Chinese aggressions, opportunities to halt Beijing’s maritime power grab may be dwindling. CNN released footage Friday […]

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver said earlier this week at a think-tank event that the United States Navy will continue to challenge China’s claims over the South China Sea, which are disputed by six other nations in the region. He said the U.S. will continue “freedom of navigation” […]

THIS is the moment the Chinese military threatened a Philippine military aircraft flying over the disputed South China Sea, warning the plane would “bear the responsibility for all the consequences” if it did not leave the area. The Chinese military warned off a Philippines military aircraft with a vociferous message demanding the plane “immediately” leave […]

Asia’s Post-World War II order is on the verge of a terminal decline. What can the region do in response? Across the Indo-Pacific, rising economic dependence has enabled Beijing to revise the nature of international relations and a rules-based order underpinned by adherence to international treaty-based law. The rapidity of the associated shift in the […]

HONG KONG/SHANGHAI — Beijing’s giant state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are playing an increasing role in China’s build-up in the South China Sea and could seek to cement their dominant position in coming years, according to new research. The work by academic Xue Gong and published by Singapore’s ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute this week sheds light on […]

For many who follow developments in the South China Sea, the July 2016 tribunal ruling in the Philippines’ case against China has become the equivalent of the birth of Jesus in the Gregorian calendar: Developments are considered B.A. and A.A.—Before Award and After Award. In the first year after the award, compliance was fair: Beijing […]

A US Navy P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane flying 16,500 feet from China’s man-made islands over South China Sea was warned six times by Chinese military to get out of their territory. The flight included CNN International, which was able to witness the exchanges between the US and Chinese military. “US military aircraft, this is China. […]

China sent six warnings to a US Navy plane operating in the South China Sea on Friday, ordering the American crew to “leave immediately and keep out.” The US Navy aircraft stayed the course, insisting that it was within its legal rights. The incident followed a report from the Philippine government revealing that China had […]

The heavily contested South China Sea, part of the Pacific Ocean, is rich with natural resources. Six neighbouring countries have also laid claims to the sea, which borders Vietnam, Brunei and the Philippines. A BBC team flew over the disputed South China Sea islands in a US Navy plane, during which the plane was told […]