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Beijing "Think Tank" Connects the Dots...or Something
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.
SEP 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 24, 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.
AUG 16, 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 15, 2025

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What is SeaLight?

SeaLight is committed to lighting up the maritime gray zone so that bullies and criminals can no longer hide in the darkness while they harass law-abiding fisherfolk; destroy the marine environment and fish stocks; prevent legitimate exploration and survey activities; and violate international law and other countries' sovereign rights.
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Latest Resources

South China Sea-related materials, maps, media, databases, and more. Collected and curated in our searchable research library.
Why Should We Care About the Shocking Chinese Ship Collision at Scarborough Shoal?
Published AUG 15, 2025
Ray Powell & Jim Carouso dive into the dramatic 11 August 2025 South China Sea incident Scarborough Shoal.
Securing The Indo-Pacific Amid Rising Tensions
Published JUN 4, 2025
The Mission Ready Podcast sits down with Ray Powell, a retired U.S. Air Force officer with 35 years of experience, to unpack key issues shaping the region: ➡️ U.S.–China relations & historical context ➡️ Defense strategy shifts in the Philippines ➡️ Multinational military exercises like Balikatan ➡️ Maritime transparency and public-private partnerships ➡️ China’s civil-military fusion strategy
Chinese Aggression Fuels Indo-Pacific Grey Zone Wars
Published JUN 4, 2025
China’s approach in the South China Sea is becoming far more aggressive. How does America view the rise of grey zone conflicts in the Indo-Pacific? In this illuminating episode, Ray Powell and James Carouso, hosts of the “Why Should We Care About the Indo-Pacific?” podcast, dive into the critical importance of this region for global security and its implications for the second term of the Trump administration.
Shedding Light on China’s Gray Zone Activities in the Indo-Pacific
Published JUN 4, 2025
On this episode of the Defense Tech Underground , SeaLight Director Ray Powell describes his 35 year career in the United States Air Force, his path to Stanford, and his journey to founding SeaLight. He explains China’s gray zone tactics in the South China Sea and SeaLight’s efforts to shed light on those activities. Ray offers insight into needed countermeasures to build up readiness and deterrence as well as the broader geopolitical landscape in the Indo-Pacific.
China's Fishermen Spies: Intelligence Specialists in the Maritime Militia
Published APR 26, 2025
China Maritime Report No. 46 from the U.S. Naval War College's China Maritime Studies Institute
China Global South Podcast: South China Sea
Published APR 19, 2025
Ray Powell, director of the Sealight initiative at Stanford University's Gordian Knott Center for National Security Innovation and host of the "Why Should We Care About the Indo-Pacific Podcast," joins Eric and CGSP Southeast Asia Editor Edwin Shri Bimo to discuss why the national security team in Washington remains appears to be more committed to the Philippines than other alliance partners.
South China Sea: Escalating tensions between China and the Philippines | 101 East Documentary
Published APR 5, 2025
Al Jazeera documentary on the tensions between the Philippines and China over the South China Sea.
ASPI: Pressure Points
Published MAR 26, 2025
Pressure Points by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute analyzes the Chinese military's use of air and maritime coercion to enforce Beijing's excessive territorial claims and advance China's security and defense interests in the Indo-Pacific.
Submarine Cable Map
Published MAR 25, 2025
The Submarine Cable Map is a free and regularly updated resource from TeleGeography.
Taiwan Security Monitor
Published MAR 25, 2025
Taiwan Security Monitor (TSM) is a student-driven research initiative dedicated to informing and improving the public discourse on cross-Strait security issues. Focused on the intersection of open-source research, geospatial data, and policy analysis, TSM provides timely and valuable insights into the evolving cross-Strait security landscape. TSM’s lines of effort includes tracking major military movements, maintaining a comprehensive repository of resources related to cross-Strait security, analyzing visual imagery, and compiling historical data on foreign military sales to Taiwan. By leveraging open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools and techniques, TSM’s team of student researchers monitor key developments and present clear, data-driven insights for policymakers, journalists, researchers, and the public. TSM is directed by Dr. Michael Hunzeker, an associate professor at George Mason University’s Schar School of Government and Policy.
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In The News

Our finds on the latest articles and information from outside of the SeaLight team.
China seizes 60,000 maps over 'mislabelled' Taiwan
Published OCT 15, 2025
Chinese customs officers in eastern Shandong province have seized 60,000 maps that "mislabelled" the self-governed island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory. The maps, authorities said, also "omitted important islands" in the South China Sea, where Beijing's claims overlap with those of its neighbours, including the Philippines and Vietnam.
Philippines, China trade accusations over South China Sea vessel clash
Published OCT 12, 2025
The Philippines and China accused each other on Sunday of responsibility for a maritime confrontation near disputed islands in the South China Sea, further escalating tensions in the resource-rich waterway.
US Congress urged to preserve stability in Indo-Pacific and curb China’s Taiwan game plan
Published OCT 8, 2025
Delegates maintain Beijing’s grey-zone campaign against Taiwan is a deliberate strategy designed to erode confidence, and it must fail to deliver any political concessions
Philippine Coast Guard Resupplies Fishermen in the South China Sea Despite Chinese Harassment
Published OCT 9, 2025
Manila provided supplies and protection to Philippine fishermen against a fleet of Chinese patrol ships, warships and aircraft operating in the South China Sea near two disputed maritime features on Tuesday.
Pacific Allies Need U.S. Support
Published OCT 7, 2025
What we learned in the Philippines, Taiwan and Palau.
The U.S.-China Crisis Waiting to Happen
Published OCT 7, 2025
Beijing’s Reluctance to Engage With the U.S. Military Has Never Been More Dangerous
How China waged an infowar against U.S. interests in the Philippines
Published OCT 6, 2025
As Chinese ships fired water cannons at Philippine vessels in the South China Sea in November 2021, Beijing's then-ambassador to Manila asked Filipinos on Facebook to share their favorite things about China.
Philippines says important that China does not militarise disputed Scarborough Shoal
Published OCT 3, 2025
The Philippines is closely watching Beijing's plans for a nature reserve at the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, its chief of armed forces said on Friday, adding it was important that the shoal does not become militarised.
Japan, Taiwan To Conduct Regular Joint Maritime Drills, with Other Partners Possibly Joining in the Future
Published OCT 3, 2025
The coast guards of Japan and Taiwan are planning to conduct regular joint drills and intend to hold joint exercises with allied and like-minded countries in the future, according to sources.
Chinese coastguards say protecting disputed Scarborough Shoal is a ‘sacred mission’
Published OCT 1, 2025
National Day message for state television says patrols will resume around the South China Sea reef that is also claimed by the Philippines
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OCT 2, 2025
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