Territorial disputes of China

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) reported that 25 Chinese military aircraft, along with seven naval vessels and four official ships, were detected near Taiwan until 8 a.m. local time today. Out of these, 16 aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, entering Taiwan's southwestern and eastern Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos on Sunday condemned what he called "illegal and reckless" actions by China's air force last week against a Filipino military plane patrolling over a disputed South China Sea reef.

President Ferdinand Marcos said on Sunday the Philippines "will not be intimidated" by anyone after a violent clash between the Filipino navy and the Chinese Coast Guard in the South China Sea.

This frame grab from handout video taken on June 17, 2024 and released by the Armed Forces of the Philippines Public Affairs Office on June 19 shows China coast guard personnel appearing to wield bladed weapons during an incident off Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.

Philippine and Chinese vessels collided near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on Monday, the Chinese Coast Guard said, as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims over the disputed area.

Known in Chinese as the Ren'ai Reef, the Second Thomas Shoal has seen an escalating number of confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months.

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.

Taiwan raised alarms as it identified six Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels in the vicinity between 6 am on January 14 and 6 am on January 15, according to reports from Taiwan News.

China showcased on Thursday fighter jets firing missiles in the South China Sea, as it held rival military exercises with the United States in the hotly contested waters.

The drills follow tense standoffs between Beijing and Manila in disputed reefs that saw vessels from the two countries collide and Chinese ships blast water cannon at Philippine boats.