Vietnam has quietly expanded its foothold in the South China Sea. Unlike with China, the rest of the region is turning a blind eye. The post Vietnam Is Also Expanding Its Foothold in the South China Sea appeared first on World Politics Review.

A Chinese military helicopter edged dangerously close to a Philippine plane on patrol over the flash point Scarborough Shoal, an incident witnessed by The Japan Times.

The Philippines and Japan pledged to enhance their defense alliance through training exercises, logistical activities, equipment transfers and intelligence sharing on Monday amid China’s assertive moves in the South China Sea.

China accused Australia on Friday of deliberately provoking it with a maritime patrol in the disputed South China Sea this week, saying the latter was spreading "false narratives", though Australia maintained its action adhered to international law.

Indonesia is one of the founding members of ASEAN and long served as its de facto leader, playing a crucial role in mediating regional crises. Analysts warned that its leadership in the group on the South China Sea issue would wane if it stopped championing international legal norms.

While Russia's war against Ukraine and a wavering transatlantic alliance drew the world's attention at this year's Munich Security Conference, sparks also flew over claims in the Sea as debate involving participants representing Beijing and Manila dug into their positions in the region.