Vietnam has revved up South China Sea land reclamation efforts this year, beginning construction on eight previously untouched Spratly Islands features.
The U.S. and the Philippines announce a joint task force to deter what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calls Beijing’s “coercion” in the South China Sea.
Chinese experts believe that “the U.S. undersea surveillance system suffers from a number of vulnerabilities," according to a U.S. Naval College professor.