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In Defense of the World's Bravest Coast Guard
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.
PHLOpinionSCSCHN
OCT 31, 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.
CHNVideoSCSPHLOpinion
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.
CHNPHLSCSCCGPAFMMIncidentAnalysis
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.
AnalysisCHNPHLCCGPLANIncident
AUG 16, 2025

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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 China's Law of the Sea?
Published NOV 8, 2025
Isaac Kardon, Senior Fellow for China Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of "China’s Law of the Sea: The New Rules of Maritime Order" joins hosts Ray Powell and Jim Carouso to discuss how China uses domestic law, coast guard operations, and strategic ambiguity to reshape international maritime norms - especially in the South and East China Seas and the Yellow Sea.
CHNSCSECSVideo
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.
PHLCHNUSASCSIncidentPLANCCG
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
VideoSCSAnalysisCHN
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.
SCSCHNVideoAnalysis
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.
SCSVideoAnalysis
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
AnalysisCHNPAFMM
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.
PHLCHNUSASCSVideo
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.
PHLCHNSCSVideo
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.
ECSSCSInfographic
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In The News

Our finds on the latest articles and information from outside of the SeaLight team.
China Urges Philippines to Stop 'Provocation and Propaganda' in South China Sea
Published NOV 9, 2025
The Chinese Embassy in Manila on Saturday released a statement from Beijing’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) calling on the Philippines to halt what it described as “infringement, provocation and propaganda” in the South China Sea.
CHNPHLSCSNews
Vietnam Builds 21 Artificial Islands in the South China Sea... Why Is China Staying Silent?
Published NOV 9, 2025
Vietnam is attempting to strengthen its territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea by constructing dozens of artificial islands in areas contested with China. These islands are expected to soon surpass those built by China in number, but contrary to expectations, the Chinese government appears to be tolerating this expansion.
CHNVNMSCSAnalysis
Satellites Capture Iran’s Suspected ‘Shadow Fleet’ in Action
Published NOV 5, 2025
New satellite imagery shows what appears to be Iran’s shadow fleet operating in the South China Sea, transferring oil via ship-to-ship to tankers possibly bound for China.
NewsCHNSCSPolicyIncident
Chinese ship spies on Australia, Philippines and the US in South China Sea
Published NOV 4, 2025
A sophisticated Chinese spy ship monitored Australian, Philippines, United States and New Zealand naval forces as they conducted joint exercises in the South China Sea last week, with Beijing again labelling Manila a "troublemaker" intent on undermining "regional peace".
AUSUSAPHLCHNSCSIncidentNews
US and China agree to set up direct military communication channels, Hegseth says
Published NOV 3, 2025
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday that Washington and Beijing would establish military-to-military communications channels, adding that bilateral ties between the countries have “never been better.”
CHNUSASCSNews
Vietnam Is Building Islands to Challenge China’s Hold on a Vital Waterway
Published NOV 5, 2025
Over four years, Vietnam has built out a series of remote rocks, reefs and atolls to create heavily fortified artificial islands that expand its military footprint in the Spratly Islands, an archipelago where Hanoi’s claims clash not only with China’s but also with those of Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.
AnalysisVNMCHNSCSMilitaryPolicyGeographyData
China’s Military Says It Tracked Philippine Patrol In South China Sea
Published NOV 2, 2025
China’s military said on Saturday it monitored and tracked a joint patrol organized by the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea on October 30 and October 31.
CHNPHLUSASCSNewsAUS
US urges ASEAN to be firm in countering China in South China Sea
Published NOV 3, 2025
Secretary Hegseth urges Southeast Asian nations to strengthen maritime forces.
USAASEANSCSNews
US, Philippines form military task force for areas including South China Sea, Pentagon says
Published OCT 31, 2025
The United States and the Philippines have formed a new joint task force to strengthen cooperation and increase military readiness in areas including the South China Sea, the Pentagon said on Friday.
NewsUSAPHLSCSMilitaryPolicyCHN
U.S. plans "show of force" against Chinese aggression in South China Sea as Trump, Xi to meet, sources say
Published OCT 30, 2025
As the highly anticipated meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping was set to take place in South Korea Thursday, the U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command quietly issued an order this week to stage a "show of force" against recent Chinese aggression in the South China Sea.
NewsCHNUSASCSMilitaryPolicy
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