Latest South China Sea News
China accuses US of interfering in training exercise before aerial confrontation
BEIJING (AP) — China’s Defense Ministry accused the U.S. of “interference and surveillance” of a naval exercise in the South China Sea ahead of an incident in which a Chinese fighter pilot flew at high speed in front of a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane, underscoring the rupture in...
China responds to US complaint over plane intercept with demand for end to surveillance flights
BEIJING (AP) — Beijing responded Wednesday to complaints from the United States about a Chinese fighter jet’s dangerous interception of an American Air Force reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace over the South China Sea by demanding an end to such flights. The...
Malaysia finds 100 old artillery shells on Chinese barge, says it likely plundered WWII shipwrecks
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia's maritime agency said Tuesday a Chinese barge likely plundered two World War II British shipwrecks in the South China Sea after discovering 100 more old artillery shells on the detained vessel. Malaysian media reported that illegal salvage...
Australia to provide surveillance drones to Philippines amid South China Sea tensions
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Australia will provide surveillance drones and other high-tech gear to the Philippine coast guard and is considering whether to take part in joint patrols in the disputed South China Sea, Australia Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Thursday. Wong, who held...
US Army chief seeks closer security ties with Indonesia amid tensions in South China Sea
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — U.S. Army Chief of Staff James McConville met with Indonesia’s top defense official on Friday to push for stronger security ties amid growing Chinese maritime activity in the Indo-Pacific region. McConville said he and Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo...
ASEAN leaders to tackle regional crises at tropical resort
LABUAN BAJO, Indonesia (AP) — A picturesque tourist destination will host crisis-weary Southeast Asian leaders with sun-splashed tropical islands, turquoise waters brimming with corals and manta rays, seafood feasts, and a hillside savannah crawling with Komodo dragons. The...
On board a Philippine patrol in contested South China Sea
ABOARD BRP MALABRIGO (AP) — When two Philippine coast guard vessels set out to patrol the volatile South China Sea recently, they had to face more than China’s growing territorial ambitions. The patrols are a constant battle against sun, sea, stress and gnawing isolation. The...
Tense face-off: Philippines confronts China over sea claims
ABOARD BRP MALABRIGO (AP) — A Chinese coast guard ship blocked a Philippine patrol vessel steaming into a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, causing a frightening near-collision in the latest act of Beijing’s aggression in the strategic waterway. The high seas face-off April...
2 Chinese navy ships head to Singapore for joint drills
BEIJING (AP) — China’s military has dispatched a pair of navy ships to take part in joint drills with Singapore’s navy and join in a regional maritime security exhibition. The exercises starting Friday in the Southeast Asian city state come amid China’s growing presence in...
US, Filipino forces show firepower at sea amid China tension
SAN ANTONIO, Philippines (AP) — American and Filipino forces sank a ship with a barrage of high-precision rockets, airstrikes and artillery fire in their largest war drills on Wednesday in Philippine waters facing the disputed South China Sea which are likely to antagonize China. ...
