Territory & Conflict

China has sealed off a vast stretch of international airspace north of Taiwan for 40 days, shutting civilian aircraft out of an area spanning roughly 73,000 square kilometers. Its scale is striking. More striking still is Beijing’s refusal to say what the closure is for.   A restriction this large would normally come with a clear explanation and advance warning. This one did not. Instead, China has carved out a huge no-fly zone for c...

Ten years after the 2016 ruling on the South China Sea, one question still stands: can international law stop powerful states like China from ignoring the rules?   In 2016, a United Nations-backed tribunal ruled clearly that China’s “nine-dash line” has no legal basis under international law. The decision was final and binding. It strongly affirmed the Philippines’ rights in the West Philippine Sea.   Yet yea...

A quiet front in the South China Sea dispute is moving online.   Cybersecurity researchers and Philippine officials say suspected China-linked groups have embedded themselves inside government agencies, telecom networks, and potentially military-linked systems across the Philippines and parts of Southeast Asia.   Unlike smash-and-grab cybercrime, these operations are slow, patient, and strategic. The goal is to gain access, collect ...

The Philippines' new executive order on maritime naming will not alter realities at sea, but it does reinforce Manila's position at a decisive moment in its competition with China.   The new executive order mandates that Philippine government agencies adopt official Philippine names for 131 maritime features in the Kalayaan Island Group, part of the wider archipelago internationally known as the Spratly Islands. The Spratlys are part of th...

Myanmar’s civil war has entered a more dangerous phase, with the military claiming fresh gains after years of conflict. The conflict began in 2021 when the army seized power and removed elected leaders. Since then, the country has been locked in a violent struggle that has killed more than 96,000 people and forced millions from their homes. Military Strength Is Shifting the War The Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw, now appears stro...