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Conflict Tracking: South China Sea Dispute
Brief
Tracking events in the South China Sea dispute: confirmed events with dates, official statements from involved parties, decisions by international organizations. Cite a source for every fact. Not needed: propaganda material without independent confirmation, emotional commentary.
Description
Confrontations in the South China Sea continue to escalate in calculated, deliberate ways — close manoeuvres, radar lock-ons — that raise risk without tipping into open conflict, even as a formal code-of-conduct negotiation proceeds in parallel.
Near-Collision Incident
Philippine and Chinese naval vessels nearly collided near Thitu Island in the Spratly chain: the Philippine tank landing ship BRP Benguet and Chinese guided-missile frigate Jingzhou accused each other of dangerous manoeuvring, with the Philippines' Western Command and China's Southern Theater Command each blaming the other side.
Fire-Control Radar Incident
In a separate incident, the Philippine frigate BRP Miguel Malvar was patrolling near Sabina Shoal when a Chinese corvette, Guang'an, directed its fire-control radar at the ship.
Diplomatic Track
The Philippines, chairing ASEAN in 2026, wants to conclude negotiations on a South China Sea code of conduct between ASEAN and China this year. Manila remains, alongside Vietnam, among the most frequent targets of what analysts describe as Chinese "gray zone" operations in the disputed waters.