How Malaysia can Address the Scourge of Shadow Tankers off its Coast

Beijing's Party-state targeting of Manila's Chinese-language newsrooms is comprehensive and escalating — from ambassadorial visits and front-page columns to all-expenses-paid tours of China and joint ceremonies with United Front media. The Philippines is the clearest case of a regional pattern, but certainly not the only one.

China just sent a coordinated multi-agency formation of ships into the Western Pacific in move its own media have brazenly labeled a declaration of sovereignty.

“I am a militiaman. If I’m given the order, I’ll set sail.”

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China is like a burglar appointing himself neighborhood watch captain, while self-righteously explaining that locking your doors against him violates homeowners association rules.

Recent tracking data reveals a new Chinese cordon aimed at shielding recent Antelope Reef dredging and pushing Vietnam back from the long-disputed Paracel Island group as Beijing consolidates control.

SeaLight digs into yet another Chinese-language media outlet in Manila, whose Mao-admiring editor recently received a "Friends of the Chinese Embassy" award, and whose president has deep roots in CCP United Front work and has proclaimed the paper's devotion to its "sacred mission" of promoting Beijing's messages in the Philippines.

China’s new ambassador to the Philippines summoned eight local Mandarin-language news executives to the embassy for a televised meeting urging them to "cooperate closely" and promote Beijing's agenda—exposing deep CCP propaganda ties in Manila's local Chinese-language press. Key outlets like Chinatown News TV and United Daily News--the latter run by a prominent CCP United Front operative--routinely amplify Chinese state media positions on Taiwan and the South China Sea while flying under the radar of most Filipinos.

Off the coast of Venezuela, a network of oil tankers, smaller cargo ships and government-linked vessels quietly moved sanctioned oil, keeping revenue flowing under the radar of international scrutiny. Meanwhile, observers using publicly available data began to see a story unfolding: patterns of movement, strange behaviors and small “tells” that hinted at the stress and adaptation of the network.

The project is expected to significantly expand the coastguard’s fleet at a time of growing operational demands in Philippine waters.

Failure of communication amid heightened tensions raises fears of accidental clash

The Philippines has released footage showing a patrol aircraft flying past a militarized Chinese artificial island on Saturday while conducting surveillance in the contested Spratly Islands, and claims the Chinese side fired flares toward the plane.

A U.S. Navy destroyer was spotted operating near Chinese forces at Scarborough Shoal this week by a Philippine Coast Guard aerial patrol.

China continues to strengthen its control over the hotly contested South China Sea, as recent analysis of satellite imagery appears to show that its artificial island outposts in the region have bolstered their intelligence, electronic warfare and defensive capabilities.

On December 1, the 47th Chinese naval escort taskforce arrived in Singapore for a four-day technical stop.

New Zealand's biggest navy ship HMNZS Aotearoa has made a trip through the sensitive Taiwan Strait.

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.

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.

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).