South China Sea

The US, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the Philippines will undertake a joint military activity in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea on Sept 28.

The developments raise the stakes for the US, which is treaty-bound to help defend the Philippines from any armed attack.

Even with Joe Biden as president, the superpower struggle between the US and China will complicate the lives of smaller states.

(May 22): Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe will address top diplomats at an upcoming summit in Singapore in a speech that could be pivotal amid rising tensions between the US and China.

(Oct 20): Defence chiefs from the US and China agreed in principle to guidelines on encounters between warplanes, in the latest bid by Pacific nations to keep increased military activity from escalating into conflict.

SINGAPORE (June 3): Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen criticised both the US and China for taking “unilateral actions,” lumping the two rivals together as nations challenging the current global order.

(Feb 4): Diplomatic efforts should be exhausted to resolve the South China Sea dispute, said US Defense Secretary James Mattis, weeks after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson appeared to advocate a tougher stance.

TOKYO (Dec 22): Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government on Thursday approved an increase in defense spending to record levels to counter growing Chinese military power in the East China Sea and an escalating North Korean ballistic missile thre

(Oct 20): Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte spelled out his foreign policy pivot to China in the clearest terms yet, telling hundreds of Filipinos in Beijing that “it’s time to say goodbye” to the US.

SINGAPORE (Oct 3): The risk of a clash in the South China Sea lies with non-military ships, Singapore’s defence minister said, as China deploys more heavily armed coast guard vessels in the disputed waters.