Published: January 5th, 2024,
Last updated: May 27th, 2025
The South China Sea may hide oil and gas deposits deep beneath its surface. There are rich fishing grounds there. And almost every third shipping container passes through its waters. China wants sovereignty over this sea region. And there have been frequent clashes with the Philippines recently because of this. The Philippines, in turn, are currently building up their defenses, including adding a Japanese radar system and Indian supersonic cruise missiles.