Manila would be able to raise South China Sea-related issues that could 'embarrass' Beijing and nudge it into a compromise, analysts say A seat on the UN Security Council would give the Philippines its highest-profile platform yet to confront Beijing over its expansive claims in the South China Sea.

Trump’s transactional diplomacy risks complicating the hedging of stakeholders from Philippines to Vietnam, and adding unpredictability for China.

Beijing and Manila have agreed to continue talks on settling their territorial differences despite Philippine protests about the presence of a Chinese "monster ship" near the contested Scarborough Shoal.

The Philippines said it expressed "serious concern” over the presence of Chinese vessels near its shores during talks with China on their South China Sea dispute.

MANILA: Senator Marco Rubio, US President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the State Department, said China should “stop messing around” with the Philippines and Taiwan, noting that its “deeply destabilising” actions in the region are compelling the US to “counteract.

Japan, the Philippines and the United States vowed to further deepen cooperation under a trilateral arrangement in the face of rising tensions in Asia's waters, the three countries said following a call among their leaders.

Tensions between Beijing and Manila have intensified in recent months concerning the South China Sea, a region spanning 3.5 million square kilometers (1.35 million square miles) through which an estimated $11.3 billion in global trade passes annually, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines accused China on Tuesday of intimidating its fishermen at a disputed South China Sea shoal, and normalizing an “illegal presence,” after Beijing sent its largest coast guard vessel into Manila’s maritime zone.

The latest news from the South China Sea was that the Philippine Navy was holding exercises around Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal. This area has become a hotly-contested area between the Philippines and China.

THE navies of the United States and the Philippines held a joint maritime exercise in the West Philippine Sea on Friday amid growing concerns over the persistent presence of the China Coast Guard's (CCG) biggest ship close to the Philippine coastline.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported on Saturday that China Coast Guard vessel 5901, often dubbed Beijing’s “monster ship,” continues to unlawfully