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NOV 30, 2025
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Chinese Communist Party Event in Manila is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Hundreds of Philippine civic and business leaders recently filled a Manila ballroom to take marching orders from Chinese Communist Party officials—a stark reminder that Beijing's campaign to control Philippine policy isn't just happening in the West Philippine Sea, but inside Philippine society itself.
NOV 16, 2025
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Gray Zone Tactics Playbook: Gaslighting
China has elevated gaslighting--a form of psychological manipulation that causes its victims to doubt their clearly observed realities--to the level of state policy and a primary tool in its gray zone tactics toolkit.
OCT 31, 2025
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In Defense of the World's Bravest Coast Guard
I have been deeply disappointed—indeed, appalled—to hear of recent attacks on the men and women of the Philippine Coast Guard by certain prominent Filipino politicians. These attacks question the PCG's loyalty, accuse them of provocation, suggest their service should be abolished, or imply its officers are serving foreign interests rather than their nation's. This is not merely unfair, it is a shameful slander of what I believe is demonstrably the world's bravest coast guard.
SEP 24, 2025
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Beijing "Think Tank" Connects the Dots...or Something
A new video by China Media Group's "Voice of the South China Sea" refreshes a familiar narrative that its detractors must be at the center of a vast, sophisticated and well-funded American government conspiracy.
AUG 24, 2025
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Flashpoint: Second Thomas Shoal (Again!)
Is China trying to change the subject after its August 11th mishap? To stage a provocation? To finally move against the Philippine outpost? These are not mutually exclusive motivations for its alarming new aggression at a flashpoint that had been quiet for over a year.
AUG 16, 2025
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China's Navy Plays Stupid Games, Wins Stupid Prizes
Eight things you need to understand about Monday’s shocking collision at Scarborough Shoal.
JUL 15, 2025
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A Candid Conversation on Philippine Defense Strategy: Insights from Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro
SeaLight Director Ray Powell's exclusive interview with Philippine Secretary of National Defense on the challenges of building a credible deterrent against an increasingly aggressive superpower.
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.

News & Articles

DEC 1, 2025
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47th Chinese Naval Escort Taskforce Makes Technical Stop in Singapore
On December 1, the 47th Chinese naval escort taskforce arrived in Singapore for a four-day technical stop.
NOV 27, 2025
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World Politics27 Nov 2025 New Zealand's biggest navy ship made transit through sensitive Taiwan Strait this month
New Zealand's biggest navy ship HMNZS Aotearoa has made a trip through the sensitive Taiwan Strait.
NOV 26, 2025
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China Sends Research Ships Near US Security Partner
China has deployed three research ships to the Indian Ocean, a region considered part of India's sphere of influence, as Beijing continues to expand its maritime presence.
NOV 25, 2025
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The Consequences of Shelving the South China Sea Disputes
For years, China has promoted the idea of “shelving disputes” in the South China Sea and focusing on areas of cooperation. Southeast Asian claimants—Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam—have been receptive to this approach to varying degrees. While this strategy brings significant economic benefits, it carries substantial long-term risks for their territorial claims and regional security interests.
NOV 24, 2025
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Chinese vessel off Zambales withdraws after PCG issues radio challenge
A China Coast Guard (CCG) ship spotted off Zambales has left the area after being shadowed and issued a radio challenge by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
NOV 20, 2025
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China’s shadow navy trains to take Taiwan
China is mobilizing an armada of civilian ships that could help in an invasion of Taiwan – a mission that could surpass the Second World War’s Normandy landings. Reuters used ship tracking data and satellite images to monitor the role civilian vessels played in Chinese maritime exercises this summer. The drills revealed that China is devising concrete invasion plans, naval warfare experts say, and rehearsing new techniques aimed at speeding up beach landings of troops and equipment in a bid to overwhelm Taiwan’s defenders.
NOV 17, 2025
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Chinese ship jams communications as Filipino forces deliver supplies to Philippines-occupied shoal
Philippine forces transported food, fuel and new personnel to a territorial outpost in a long-disputed shoal i n the South China Sea, where Chinese government ships jammed communications during the hourslong supply mission as part of Beijing’s security practice in the far-flung atoll, two top officials in the Philippines said Tuesday.
NOV 15, 2025
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China’s Upgraded Lawfare in the South China Sea
China is stepping up its legal narratives targeting the Philippines.
NOV 13, 2025
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U.S. Marines Deploy Drone Unit to Philippines to Patrol Over South China Sea
The U.S. Marine Corps temporarily deployed a unit of drones to support Philippine maritime security efforts in the South China Sea where tensions are high between Manila and Beijing, USNI News has learned.
NOV 13, 2025
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How Takaichi should navigate Beijing’s diplomatic threats
Japan and allies need a united response to counter China's 'wolf warrior' tactics.
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