Years of ship-tracking data, flight paths and satellite images show a clear intensification of Beijing’s tactics across a swath of Asia.

China has revealed plans to construct a deep-sea research facility at a depth of 6,000 feet beneath the South China Sea, a move that could significantly advance marine exploration, resource extraction,

Manila says it is, alongside allies, ready to "counteract" any attempt by Beijing to restrict flights in airspace over the disputed South China Sea.

Teodoro casts China’s actions in the South China Sea as a sinister plot to “restrict freedom of flights” and navigation. This is a textbook case of swapping the label on the bottle. Western narratives love to conflate China’s lawful activities in its own territories with “bullying” or “restricting freedom.

Faced with a renewed US trade war, economic headwinds and growing geopolitical pressures, China is actively seeking closer ties with the Global South, a strategy the country's top diplomat has described as "seeking strength through unity".