South China Sea

Thousands of Filipino and American troops kicked off joint military exercises in the Philippines on Monday, as Beijing's growing assertiveness in the region raises fears of a conflict.

U.S. President Joe Biden made "ironclad" defense pledges to Japan and the Philippines on Thursday as he hosted his counterparts amid growing tensions with Beijing, whose actions the three leaders described as "dangerous and aggressive."

Southeast Asian and Australian leaders on Wednesday warned against actions that "endanger peace" in the South China Sea, following fresh confrontations between Beijing and the Philippines in contested waters.

Simmering tensions in the trade corridor threatened to boil over this week, when Chinese boats in the Spratly Islands were accused of hounding Philippines vessels.

The Philippines has summoned China's envoy, the foreign ministry said Monday, following the most tense confrontations between the countries' vessels in years at flashpoint reefs in the disputed South China Sea.

Chinese coast guard ships have used water cannons against Philippine ships that were delivering supplies to soldiers stationed in a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, the Philippine government said, as quoted by DPA and BTA.

In the wake of the mucilage disaster that plagued the Marmara Sea in 2021, a surge in the population of pinas, a type of mussel with natural filtration capabilities, has offered a glimmer of hope for the troubled ecosystem.

According to experts, there has been a remarkable surge in the population of pinas, which is known for its capacity to filter up to six liters of water per hour.

The Philippines condemned the China Coast Guard Sunday for allegedly firing water cannon at its vessels in the disputed South China Sea, describing the actions as "illegal" and "dangerous".

President Joe Biden is dispatching White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan to Tokyo this week for talks with his counterparts from Japan, Philippines and South Korea.

A US warship sailed through the waters separating Taiwan and mainland China, the US Navy said, days after Beijing staged war games around the self-ruled island.

Led by the United States, multiple Western navies regularly conduct "freedom of navigation operations" to assert the international status of regional waterways such as the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.

China simulated a "secession" of Taiwan on today's third day of military exercises around the island, and the US, in a show of force, deployed a warship in waters claimed by China, AFP reported.

China launched the drills in response to a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the US.