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JUL 6, 2025
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Beijing's Disinformation Campaign Against West Philippine Sea Transparency
On July 4th, Executive Director Ray Powell issues a public statement of Beijing's campaign to discredit SeaLight and the Philippines' transparency program.
JUN 25, 2025
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Iran’s Maritime Gray Zone: Tactics, Threats and the Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s maritime gray zone activities have long been central to its approach towards the Persian Gulf at large. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy and the regular Iranian Navy both play key roles, often coordinating with regional partners and, increasingly, with Russia and China.
JUN 3, 2025
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Gray Zone Tactics Playbook: Intrusive Surveying
China's oceanographic survey activities routinely conflate legitimate scientific research with assertion of excessive maritime claims and collection of military intelligence--a classic gray zone tactic.
MAY 21, 2025
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China's Escalating Gray Zone Campaign Against Japan's Senkaku Islands
A recent incident around the contested Senkaku Islands highlight's Tokyo's need for more and better options to counter Beijing's maritime aggression.
MAY 6, 2025
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Beijing is Lying About the Condition of Scarborough Shoal
Despite Beijing’s assertions that the environmental condition of Scarborough Shoal is “excellent” and that authorities have cracked down on giant clam harvesting, the preponderance of the evidence—including legal documents, investigative journalism, satellite imagery and even Chinese state records—demonstrates that its stewardship since 2012 has actually resulted in severe damage to the shoal and its ecosystem.
MAY 6, 2025
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China's Expanding Control Over Scarborough Shoal
Over the past 12 months, China has vastly increased its forces blocking Philippine access to Scarborough Shoal, building a huge exclusion zone around the contested feature as the Philippines has pushed back with what it can.
APR 17, 2025
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Fish Farms or Footholds? China, South Korea and an OSINT Success Story
After South Korea confronted China with suspicions about its Yellow Sea aquaculture operations--culminating in a tense maritime standoff--SeaLight broke the story open with newly published images of the "steel structures" roiling tensions in Northeast Asia.
APR 7, 2025
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Gray Zone Tactics Playbook: Optical Weapons
Updated post: Optical weapons are non-lethal weapons used to cause temporary blindness or confuse personnel. They include lasers (dazzlers) and stroboscopic lights.
MAR 16, 2025
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Gray Zone Tactics Playbook: Sonic Weapons
China's increasing use of sonic weapons as a gray zone tactic against its rivals includes sirens, sonar and long-range acoustic devices.
MAR 11, 2025
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Beijing's Quiet Aggression at Sea
China's campaign of quiet aggression has already achieved many of its expansionist maritime objectives. Its neighbors and the world have started to notice, but checking Beijing's ambitions will take more than our attention.

News & Articles

JUL 8, 2025
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Vietnam Intercepts China Research Ship Near Coast
Vietnam recently deployed a ship to intercept a Chinese survey vessel operating off its east coast, according to ship tracking data. The Chinese vessel spent much of the second half of June within Vietnam's maritime zone, in what Hanoi says is a violation of its sovereignty.
JUL 7, 2025
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Japan in talks to transfer warships, surveillance aircraft to the Philippines
Japan is in talks with the Philippines over a potential transfer of used navy destroyers and maritime surveillance aircraft, as part of Tokyo’s efforts to bolster Manila’s defense capabilities amid China’s growing assertiveness in the region.
JUL 4, 2025
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South China Sea: US aircraft carrier marks American commitment but also ‘crowded’ region
The USS George Washington’s Manila port call comes just days after China deployed two of its carriers to the Western Pacific for military drills
JUL 4, 2025
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Chinese consulate asks NZ film festival to can Philippine doco
Chinese officials have asked that a Filipino documentary be removed from future screenings at the New Zealand Doc Edge Festival, saying doing so would be in the interest of Chinese-New Zealand relations.
JUN 30, 2025
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Does Australia see China as a threat?
Squaring the circle between public opinion and political rhetoric.
JUN 28, 2025
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First 5 U.S.-made Harpoon missile launcher vehicles arrive in Taiwan
The first five land-based Harpoon anti-ship missile launcher vehicles, along with a radar truck, have arrived in Taiwan from the United States, a source familiar with the matter told CNA Saturday.
JUN 25, 2025
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West PH Sea: Recent US-PH-Japan sea drills viewed as ‘counter-China’ effort
The Philippines joined the recently-concluded coast guard drills of the United States and Japan in what experts see as a “counter-China” move and a nod to “minilateralism” amid the regional power’s growing aggression.
JUN 24, 2025
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China elbows its way into South Korean waters
Satellite photos reveal China is using the cover of global turmoil to push its boundaries deeper into neighbouring territory.
JUN 23, 2025
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China's research ships used for intel operations – group
China is increasingly using research and survey ships to act as proxies for military and intelligence operations, according to SeaLight, a maritime transparency initiative monitoring Chinese activities in the South China Sea.
JUN 20, 2025
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China sends scores of planes across central line in Taiwan Strait
China sent 74 warplanes toward Taiwan between late Thursday and early Friday, 61 of which crossed the central line in the Taiwan Strait that unofficially divides the sides, an unusually large number as tensions remained heightened in the region.
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