China has territorial disputes with the Philippines, which has signed a security treaty with Washington that comes with mutual defense commitments.

China is on a mission to become the world’s dominant superpower by 2049. That goal is driving a desire to build a world-class navy that can challenge the United States. To make it even stronger, according to Stephen Chen of the South China Morning Post,

China's coast guard continues its weeklong presence near the Philippines' Zambales Province in what one analyst calls "a new level of sustained intensity."

The South China Sea is a complex geopolitical issue involving territorial disputes, military tensions, and conflicting claims by littoral countries including China. Analysts say as the waterway is one of Beijing’s core interests, it is also listed as “highly sensitive” by censors.

An expert told Newsweek China is hostile due to frustration at the presence of the U.S. Typhon missile system in the Philippines.

One fictional student in the 40-page comic book describes China as a bully and another says Beijing's "behavior is outrageous."

The arrests come as confrontations between the two Asian neighbours over contested reefs and waters in the strategic South China Sea have escalated in recent months

Four major developments shaped the security environment in the South China Sea in 2024: (1) increased Chinese coercion against Philippine naval vessels and aircraft; (2) adoption of a new maritime defense strategy by the Philippines;

The Philippine coast guard says Chinese coast guard ships and a Chinese navy helicopter harassed a group of Philippine fisheries vessels conducting a scientific survey in a hotly disputed area of the South China Sea,

The defence ministers of France and Indonesia agreed to enhance cooperation to ensure regional stability. The partnership includes technology exchange and military exercises amid rising tensions in the South China Sea.

The National Security Council (NSC) is supportive of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s call for China to stop its aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in exchange for the removal of the United States' Typhoon missile launchers in the country,