South China Sea

List of South China Sea articles

U.S. President Joe Biden and Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong attend a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on Sept. 10.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Vietnamese Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong attend a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi on Sept. 10.

With ASEAN Paralyzed, Southeast Asia Seeks New Security Ties

The bloc’s divide over China pushes members to go their own way.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend a Quad event in Tokyo on May 24, 2022.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend a Quad event in Tokyo on May 24, 2022.

Never Say Never to an Asian NATO

A collective security bloc suddenly looks more plausible—never mind the denials.

A U.S. Navy sailor walks past an F/A-18F fighter jet on the flight deck of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier in the port of Busan, South Korea, on March 28.
A U.S. Navy sailor walks past an F/A-18F fighter jet on the flight deck of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier in the port of Busan, South Korea, on March 28.

U.S. Deterrence Against China Is Not Working

With U.S. military superiority in Asia no longer a given, defense planners need a different strategy.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., in his office in Washington on Feb. 10.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., in his office in Washington on Feb. 10.

Ro Khanna: ‘De-Risking Is Consulting Gibberish’

Silicon Valley’s congressman on how to reset the U.S.-China relationship.

A sailor walks on the deck of an Indian Navy submarine at a naval base in Mumbai.
A sailor walks on the deck of an Indian Navy submarine at a naval base in Mumbai.

India Is Becoming a Power in Southeast Asia

New Delhi and its partners are inching together to balance Beijing.

China's first operational aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, sails with six other ships during a drill at sea.
China's first operational aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, sails with six other ships during a drill at sea.

China Is Rewriting the Law of the Sea

Washington missed the boat to shape the global maritime order. Beijing is stepping in.

An operator works during the mooring of an undersea fiber optic cable near the Spanish Basque village of Sopelana on June 13, 2017.
An operator works during the mooring of an undersea fiber optic cable near the Spanish Basque village of Sopelana on June 13, 2017.

Decoupling Is Already Happening—Under the Sea

U.S.-China rivalry has led to the rerouting of crucial subsea internet cables, which could have major geopolitical consequences.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken holds a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi on April 15.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken holds a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi on April 15.

Biden Hopes for Vietnam Breakthrough

Washington and Hanoi have been inching closer, but it’s a complicated dance.

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen during a ceremony to commission two ships from the United States into the Taiwan Navy.
Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen during a ceremony to commission two ships from the United States into the Taiwan Navy.

Why Does Taiwan Matter to the U.S.?

The Pentagon’s top policymaker, Colin Kahl, details why the island is consequential to U.S. national security strategy.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives for a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Malacanang Palace in Manila on Aug. 6, 2022.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives for a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Malacanang Palace in Manila on Aug. 6, 2022.

The Philippines Is America’s New Star Ally in Asia

Manila’s geopolitical shift is more than the Biden administration could have hoped for.

Austin walks down a red carpet past a row of honor guards.
Austin walks down a red carpet past a row of honor guards.

Biden’s Risky Bet on the Philippines to Counter China

Washington hopes the Bongbong Marcos government will allow it to use runways in the Philippines in the case of an armed conflict with China.

A military plane is shown over a sandy landscape.
A military plane is shown over a sandy landscape.
Solomon Islander Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare attends a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
Solomon Islander Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare attends a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

Australia’s Got a Solomon Islands Headache (Again)

China’s expansion into the South Pacific caught Australia and the United States off guard.

Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.

New Philippine President Marcos Is No Duterte on Foreign Policy

Monday’s victor intends to defend sovereignty against China and prioritize the U.S. alliance.

South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol dines with Maj. Gen. David Lesperance, commander of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division, and other soldiers at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on April 7.
South Korean President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol dines with Maj. Gen. David Lesperance, commander of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division, and other soldiers at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on April 7.

Ukraine Has Asia Thinking About War

The return of major conflict is leading Asian countries to boost their militaries.

HMAS Farncomb Collins class submarine
HMAS Farncomb Collins class submarine

Why AUKUS Alarms ASEAN

The bloc is struggling to preserve unity—and can’t decide what to do about the new U.S.-China rivalry.

The sun rises over a Royal Australian Navy submarine.
The sun rises over a Royal Australian Navy submarine.

The AUKUS Dominoes Are Just Starting to Fall

The world’s newest security partnership is a window into how the world works—and the unpredictable places it’s heading.

Indonesia's Widodo and China's Xi in Beijing
Indonesia's Widodo and China's Xi in Beijing

Indonesia Unprepared as Great Powers Clash in Indo-Pacific

Jakarta is Asia’s greatest geopolitical prize. But its foreign-policy reflexes are long outdated.

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