Recent debate which casts the Philippines' assertive transparency campaign as as a "failure" for not deterring Beijing's South China Sea aggression risks missing the forest for the trees. Manila has gained much by turning on the cameras.

President Marcos laid out the principled high ground upon which the Philippines stands at Second Thomas Shoal. His spokespeople should avoid yielding it back by excusing Beijing's mendacity.

A new satellite photo of the maritime militia swarm at Whitsun Reef shows how China is committed to maintaining its effective control over this maritime feature within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. How long before its other vessel swarms at features even closer to the Philippine archipelago--Sabina Shoal and Iroquois Reef--grow to look like this?

Is China building another artificial feature at Sabina Shoal? The Philippines certainly suspects it has those designs. With everything else swirling around the South China Sea, why should this be what we're talking about now? SeaLight explains below.

Cartographic expansionism describes the gray zone tactic in which an aggressor nation manipulates maps to mark out, advance and expand its vast territorial and maritime claims.

Satellite images show how China is slowly stealing Iroquois Reef from the Philippines.

SeaLight Director Ray Powell and his co-host, former senior U.S. diplomat Jim Carouso discuss his week's upcoming U.S.-Japan-Philippines trilateral leaders summit with expert guests Chris Johnstone and Dindo Manhit.

A quick-reference guide to South China Sea hotspots.

SeaLight Director Ray Powell announces a new podcast with former diplomat Jim Carouso in which they unpack current Indo-Pacific events through the practical lens of, "Why should we care?"

“Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.” -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Philippines and Singapore signed a defense pact Wednesday that will allow their militaries to broaden their engagement, but few details were given about how the agreement could help address their security concerns in a region rife with conflicts.

China is bullying its rivals in the South China Sea. For some tourists, that makes it a perfect holiday destination

Beijing, Manila give contradictory information on what was agreed over the disputed reef in the South China Sea.

Temporary deal agreed to prevent escalation of standoffs around the Sierra Madre, a Philippine ship grounded on the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

Philippine president makes remarks as Beijing and Manila announce a provisional deal to defuse tensions at the Second Thomas Shoal.

In a span of around 15 hours, the Philippines went from announcing an “understanding on the provisional arrangement” with China on resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal to issuing a statement blasting Beijing’s foreign spokesperson an “inaccurate” statement about the bilateral deal.

The coast guards of the Philippines and Vietnam are in talks on holding their first joint exercises in August as the two Southeast Asian nations explore ways to settle their overlapping claims while grappling with China’s increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea.

For over two months now, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)’s BRP Teresa Magbanua has been keeping watch over Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, because of concerns that China is trying to build yet another “artificial island.”

The Maritime Security Battalion aims to secure Philippine maritime routes and bring the Philippine Marine Corps into the littorals.

A recently signed agreement will open a direct line of communication between the presidential offices of China and the Philippines to help prevent any new confrontation from spiraling out of control in the disputed South China Sea, according to highlights of the accord seen by The Associated Press on Tuesday.