SOUTH CHINA SEA

South China Sea disputes: A persistent geopolitical puzzle in Asia’s maritime heart

02/07/202511/07/2025

In the South China Sea, ambition meets anxiety. Historic claims, power plays, and nationalist tides collide in a maritime chessboard where peace remains elusive—and the next move could change everything

Multinational naval and air forces from the U.S., France, and Japan operate in formation over the Philippine Sea during Pacific Steller 2025. Visible are an F/A-18F Super Hornet, an F-35C Lightning II, an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, and two French Navy Rafale Marine (F4) fighter jets, flying above aircraft carriers and warships from the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group, the French Carrier Strike Group, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the U.S. Military Sealift Command

Manila weaves a new web—Can the Squad hold together?

21/03/202524/03/2025

The Philippines is eager to expand its Squad alliance with the U.S., Australia, and Japan by courting India and South Korea. But is this a masterstroke or a diplomatic tightrope walk?

SOUTH CHINA SEA

South China Sea disputes: A persistent geopolitical puzzle in Asia’s maritime heart

Manila weaves a new web—Can the Squad hold together?

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