Disputed Reef

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Sunday condemned Chinese air force actions in waters of the South China Sea claimed by both countries, calling the actions "unjustified, illegal and reckless".

The Philippines and China have agreed on an "arrangement" for resupplying Filipino troops stationed on a South China Sea reef, Manila said Sunday, after a series of escalating confrontations in the disputed waters.

Chinese coast guard sailors brandishing knives, an axe and other weapons clashed with Philippine naval vessels near a strategic reef in the South China Sea, dramatic new footage released by Manila showed.

Satellite images of the hotly disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea show a new floating barrier across its entrance, near where Philippine ships and China coast guard vessels have had frequent run-ins.

A Philippine boat and a Chinese Coast Guard ship collided near a hotly contested reef on Sunday, with both countries trading blame for the latest such confrontation in the disputed South China Sea.

The Philippines said Sunday more than 135 Chinese vessels were "swarming" a reef off its coast, describing the boats' growing presence as "alarming".

Beijing warned Manila on Tuesday not to "stir up trouble" after the Philippine Coast Guard said it had removed a floating barrier at a disputed reef that was allegedly deployed by China to block Filipinos from the traditional fishing ground.

Amid the spat between China and the Philippines over the latter's warship being allegedly targeted by water canons, Beijing urged the Philippines to immediately tow away the grounded warship from Ren'ai Reef, the Global Times reported on Tuesday.

A crumbling World War II-era Philippine navy vessel stranded on a submerged reef in the South China Sea has long been a flashpoint between Manila and Beijing in their territorial dispute over the waters.

China's air force has landed bombers on islands and reefs in the South China Sea as part of a training exercise in the disputed region, it said in a statement.

While the Pentagon plays down patrols close to Chinese-controlled reefs and islands in the South China Sea, Beijing is sounding the alarm about them, seeking to justify what experts say will be an even greater presence in the disputed region.

A U.S. Navy destroyer carried out a "freedom of navigation operation" on Thursday, coming within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China in the South China Sea, U.S. officials told Reuters.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Tuesday said her country opposes Beijing's construction of artificial reefs and their militarisation in the disputed South China Sea, holding that freedom of navigation must be ensured.

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.

China on Thursday accused the US of trespassing after an American warship sailed near a reef claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea, the first such operation by President Donald Trump's administration in the disputed waterway.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Sunday condemned Chinese air force actions in waters of the South China Sea claimed by both countries, calling the actions "unjustified, illegal and reckless".

The Philippines and China have agreed on an "arrangement" for resupplying Filipino troops stationed on a South China Sea reef, Manila said Sunday, after a series of escalating confrontations in the disputed waters.

Chinese coast guard sailors brandishing knives, an axe and other weapons clashed with Philippine naval vessels near a strategic reef in the South China Sea, dramatic new footage released by Manila showed.

Satellite images of the hotly disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea show a new floating barrier across its entrance, near where Philippine ships and China coast guard vessels have had frequent run-ins.

A Philippine boat and a Chinese Coast Guard ship collided near a hotly contested reef on Sunday, with both countries trading blame for the latest such confrontation in the disputed South China Sea.

The Philippines said Sunday more than 135 Chinese vessels were "swarming" a reef off its coast, describing the boats' growing presence as "alarming".

Beijing warned Manila on Tuesday not to "stir up trouble" after the Philippine Coast Guard said it had removed a floating barrier at a disputed reef that was allegedly deployed by China to block Filipinos from the traditional fishing ground.

Amid the spat between China and the Philippines over the latter's warship being allegedly targeted by water canons, Beijing urged the Philippines to immediately tow away the grounded warship from Ren'ai Reef, the Global Times reported on Tuesday.

A crumbling World War II-era Philippine navy vessel stranded on a submerged reef in the South China Sea has long been a flashpoint between Manila and Beijing in their territorial dispute over the waters.

China's air force has landed bombers on islands and reefs in the South China Sea as part of a training exercise in the disputed region, it said in a statement.

While the Pentagon plays down patrols close to Chinese-controlled reefs and islands in the South China Sea, Beijing is sounding the alarm about them, seeking to justify what experts say will be an even greater presence in the disputed region.

A U.S. Navy destroyer carried out a "freedom of navigation operation" on Thursday, coming within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China in the South China Sea, U.S. officials told Reuters.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Tuesday said her country opposes Beijing's construction of artificial reefs and their militarisation in the disputed South China Sea, holding that freedom of navigation must be ensured.

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.

China on Thursday accused the US of trespassing after an American warship sailed near a reef claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea, the first such operation by President Donald Trump's administration in the disputed waterway.