China Building South China Sea Island

The Philippines has built a new coast guard station on the contested island of Thitu in the South China Sea, boosting its ability to monitor movements of Chinese vessels and aircraft in the busy disputed waterway.

The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions and restrictions on two dozen Chinese companies and associated officials for taking part in building artificial islands in disputed waters in the South China Sea.

At first glance from above it looks like any clean and neatly planned small town, complete with sports grounds, neat roads and large civic buildings.

On a tiny island off Brunei's northern tip on the South China Sea, thousands of Chinese workers are building a refinery and petrochemical complex, along with a bridge connecting it to the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.

China is expanding artificial islands in disputed South China Sea areas despite saying it stopped two years ago, according to a security think tank that released satellite images it said showed the land reclamation.

China has opened its southernmost cinema on a dispute island in the South China Sea, state media said, part on an on-going effort to build up civilian infrastructure and assert Beijing's sovereignty.

China has built new military facilities on islands in the South China Sea, a U.S. think tank reported on Thursday, a move that could raise tensions with Washington, which has accused Beijing of militarising the vital waterway.

Southeast Asian leaders took a softer stance on disputes in the South China Sea during a summit that ended on Saturday, avoiding tacit references to China's building and arming of its manmade islands, according to the chairman's statement.

China, in an early test of U.S. President Donald Trump, has nearly finished building almost two dozen structures on artificial islands in the South China Sea that appear designed to house long-range surface-to-air missiles, two U.S. officials told Reuters.

China has said it will develop floating nuclear power plants on a priority basis in the South China Sea as it seeks to beef up electricity supply to the islands in the disputed maritime region.

China today accused the Philippines of spreading "rumours" as it refuted allegations by Manila that it has secretly begun work to build an artificial island at a crucial shoal in the disputed South China Sea after an international tribunal struck down Beijing's claims.

The disputed South China Sea was in focus Wednesday at a regional summit in Laos, the first such gathering since an international court said Beijing's artificial island building programme there was "illegal".

The Philippines released photos Wednesday to back its claims that China had secretly begun work to cement control over a crucial shoal in the hotly contested South China Sea.

A large number of Chinese vessels have been positioned close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea near the coast of the Philippines, despite warnings by the United States that Beijing should refrain from such provocations.

China today denied it had begun building an artificial island at a South China Sea flashpoint and cautioned the Philippines not to "hype up" their maritime dispute.

The Philippines has built a new coast guard station on the contested island of Thitu in the South China Sea, boosting its ability to monitor movements of Chinese vessels and aircraft in the busy disputed waterway.

The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions and restrictions on two dozen Chinese companies and associated officials for taking part in building artificial islands in disputed waters in the South China Sea.

At first glance from above it looks like any clean and neatly planned small town, complete with sports grounds, neat roads and large civic buildings.

On a tiny island off Brunei's northern tip on the South China Sea, thousands of Chinese workers are building a refinery and petrochemical complex, along with a bridge connecting it to the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.

China is expanding artificial islands in disputed South China Sea areas despite saying it stopped two years ago, according to a security think tank that released satellite images it said showed the land reclamation.

China has opened its southernmost cinema on a dispute island in the South China Sea, state media said, part on an on-going effort to build up civilian infrastructure and assert Beijing's sovereignty.

China has built new military facilities on islands in the South China Sea, a U.S. think tank reported on Thursday, a move that could raise tensions with Washington, which has accused Beijing of militarising the vital waterway.

Southeast Asian leaders took a softer stance on disputes in the South China Sea during a summit that ended on Saturday, avoiding tacit references to China's building and arming of its manmade islands, according to the chairman's statement.

China, in an early test of U.S. President Donald Trump, has nearly finished building almost two dozen structures on artificial islands in the South China Sea that appear designed to house long-range surface-to-air missiles, two U.S. officials told Reuters.

China has said it will develop floating nuclear power plants on a priority basis in the South China Sea as it seeks to beef up electricity supply to the islands in the disputed maritime region.

China today accused the Philippines of spreading "rumours" as it refuted allegations by Manila that it has secretly begun work to build an artificial island at a crucial shoal in the disputed South China Sea after an international tribunal struck down Beijing's claims.

The disputed South China Sea was in focus Wednesday at a regional summit in Laos, the first such gathering since an international court said Beijing's artificial island building programme there was "illegal".

The Philippines released photos Wednesday to back its claims that China had secretly begun work to cement control over a crucial shoal in the hotly contested South China Sea.

A large number of Chinese vessels have been positioned close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea near the coast of the Philippines, despite warnings by the United States that Beijing should refrain from such provocations.

China today denied it had begun building an artificial island at a South China Sea flashpoint and cautioned the Philippines not to "hype up" their maritime dispute.