Tensions in the South China Sea escalated over the weekend as US and Philippine forces conducted integrated defense drills, just hours after China claimed it had seized control of a disputed reef near Philippine territory. Missiles were fired off the coast of northern Philippines on Sunday during the annual “Balikatan” exercises, which this year involve…
Indonesia Rejects China’s South China Sea Claims Despite Maritime Agreement: Analysts Raise Sovereignty Concerns Indonesia reiterated on Monday that it does not recognize China’s expansive claims over the South China Sea, even as it signed a maritime development deal with Beijing. The agreement, which involves joint cooperation in areas of overlapping claims, has raised concerns…
In a significant move to safeguard its maritime boundaries and assert its sovereignty, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed two pivotal laws on Friday aimed at reinforcing the country’s territorial integrity amid ongoing tensions with China over disputed waters in the South China Sea. The newly enacted Maritime Zones Act and Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act…
