Territory & Conflict

China delivered a sharp and combative speech at the United Nations on December 8, defending its South China Sea claims and striking back at countries it accused of distorting the issue, especially the Philippines.   China's Hard Line at the United Nations Chinese Ambassador to the UN, Sun Lei, declared that the UN was “not the right place” to discuss South China Sea disputes. Yet he immediately launched into a forceful tirade ...

In Southeast Asia, thousands of desperate migrants are fleeing conflict, poverty, and climate disasters. But instead of finding safety, many fall into the hands of cruel smugglers who exploit their hopes for a better future.   Dangerous Journeys For many migrants, crossing borders illegally is their only option. Many have no legal papers and must rely on smugglers to cross into new countries. The journey is very risky.   According ...

A routine Philippine surveillance flight over the West Philippine Sea on December 6 turned dangerous after Chinese forces fired flares toward a Filipino aircraft near Subi Reef in the Spratly Islands. The incident is the latest sign of China’s growing aggression in disputed waters.   Despite the threat, the pilot stayed on course and safely completed the mission, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. No damage was reported, but th...

Tensions erupted along the Thai-Cambodia border on December 8 as Thailand launched airstrikes on Cambodian positions, reigniting a long-running dispute that had seemed to temporarily calm. Both sides blame each other for the new violence, which comes just two months after a high-profile peace deal overseen by former US President Donald Trump. Who Is At Fault? Thailand said its airstrikes targeted Cambodian military posts in response to an atta...

After years of legal drama, the $15 billion Sulu arbitration is expected to come to a close in the Paris Court of Appeal on December 9. Eight Filipino claimants claiming to be descendants of the Sultanate of Sulu have taken their case against Malaysia from London to Madrid, Sabah, Luxembourg, The Hague, and Washington. Every court has rejected the claim, and Spanish courts even convicted arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa to jail for defying repeated orde...