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China has announced plans to designate Scarborough Shoal as a national “nature reserve,” drawing sharp protests from the Philippines. Manila calls the move a pretext for occupation, while Washington warns it is another attempt by Beijing to expand control in the South China Sea.
The shoal, just 200 kilometers from the Philippines, lies inside Manila’s exclusive economic zone, but China has maintained its presence there since 2012 despite a 2016 arbitration ruling rejecting Beijing’s sweeping claims.
Filipino fishermen say Chinese vessels are blocking their access and fear harassment will worsen if construction begins. The Philippine foreign ministry has issued a formal diplomatic protest, calling the move illegitimate and unlawful.
With the U.S. backing the Philippines, the dispute has escalated into another flashpoint in the South China Sea.
Stay tuned for more updates on global conflicts and diplomacy.
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Chinese state media said the reserve would cover an area of 3,523.67 hectares (8,707 acres), with its ‘primary focus’ being the coral reef ecosystem
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China Philippines tensions in the South China Sea have escalated after two Chinese ships collided while chasing a Philippine patrol boat near Scarborough Shoal. The Philippine Coast Guard says the BRP Suluan was escorting supply boats for fishermen on August 11 when a Chinese Coast Guard vessel cut too close to a Chinese Navy warship, causing a collision that left the coastguard ship badly damaged. Manila says it offered medical assistance to the Chinese crew, but China has not addressed the crash. Hours later, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. defended his recent remarks on Taiwan after Beijing accused him of “playing with fire.” Scarborough Shoal has been under Chinese control since 2012 but lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. This incident adds to a series of confrontations in disputed waters.
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As per the statement issued by officials in Manila, Philippines officials were distributing aid to fishermen in the disputed Scarborough Shoal
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China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, overlapping with maritime zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam
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Indian warships are already in the Philippines, conducting what is being called a “maritime cooperative activity” -- a label underscoring both political diplomacy and strategic military collaboration.
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China’s coast guard said it "dealt with" six Filipinos who "illegally boarded" Tiexian Reef, amid ongoing tensions with the Philippines over disputed South China Sea territory and military drills.
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We find commonality with India because we have a common enemy. And I'm not afraid to say that China is our common enemy. So, it's important that we collaborate together, maybe exchange intelligence," Philippines, a Squad member, said.
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China's new deep-sea research station in the South China Sea, set to launch by 2030, will advance marine science, energy exploration, and China's geopolitical influence in the region.
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The situation in the South China Sea figured in wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Saturday, according to a joint statement.
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”The Philippines is well aware that the scope of its territory is determined by a series of international treaties and has never included China’s” Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the defence ministry said on its official WeChat account.
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Taiwan's defence ministry on Monday went on the alert after reporting a large rise in Chinese military activity, both around the island and more broadly in the East and South China Seas.
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On December 4, Chinese coast guard vessels, backed by navy ships, aggressively confronted Philippine patrol vessels near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. The Philippine Coast Guard reported that the Chinese ships fired water cannons at the vessels, blocking and sideswiping them. The attack occurred while the Philippine vessels were on a routine patrol to protect local fishermen. Despite the aggressive actions, the Philippine authorities reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding their maritime jurisdiction. The incident highlights ongoing tensions in the region, where China’s claims overlap with those of several Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines.
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Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro has accused China of intensifying pressure on the Philippines to cede its sovereign rights in the South China Sea, labelling the country a "victim of Chinese aggression." This year, disputes have focused on contested areas like the Scarborough Shoal. Teodoro recently met with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, reflecting closer security ties and shared concerns over Chinese actions. In response, China warned of retaliation if Manila continues what it views as "infringement and provocation." The Philippine Maritime Council condemned China’s baselines in the region, calling them a sovereignty violation and highlighting regional tensions over China’s influence.
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The two ships sailed through the contested strait from 2pm local time on Wednesday in what Collins described as a routine activity consistent with international law.
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The PLA(N), as the Chinese Navy is called, conducted a week-long exercise in the Bohai Sea-Yellow Sea area beginning August 15, a separate one in the Bohai Sea on September 18 and another one in the South China Sea on September 18-19.
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The Philippines and China have exchanged accusations of intentionally ramming coast guard vessels in the disputed waterway in recent months, including a violent clash in June in which a Filipino sailor lost a finger.
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China is rapidly expanding its military and has become increasingly assertive in pursuing its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea which is crucial to international trade.
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The internal research by Taiwan's armed forces, reviewed by Reuters, offers a rare look into a slice of China's defence spending as Beijing has ramped up its military presence amid rising tensions in the region.
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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. condemned Chinese air force actions in contested South China Sea waters as "unjustified, illegal, and reckless." Both countries accused each other of disrupting military operations.
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The Philippines and China agreed on a provisional arrangement for resupply missions to a Filipino naval ship in the South China Sea, per Manila's foreign ministry.
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Tensions between China and the Philippines escalated following an incident of violent clash between their maritime security personnel few days back in the South China Sea.
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The Philippine coast guard said its two vessels stood their ground at the Scarborough Shoal, a key battleground in the South China Sea, but one sustained damage from use of water cannon by two Chinese coast guard ships
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The defense chiefs of the United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines announced Saturday that they would hold joint exercises in the sea to safeguard the rule of law
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The Philippines and Australia recently conducted a rare military drill to challenge China’s dominance over the South China Sea. This is of great importance to India which recently supported the Philippines’ claim over a part of the South China Sea, an important sea route.
