Philippines protests presence of ‘monster ship’ amid fears of status quo shift in South China Sea - Manila says Chinese vessels detected near disputed Scarborough shoal

The Philippines and China agreed to seek common ground and find ways to cooperate despite their disagreements in the South China Sea, their foreign ministries said on Thursday, as heated rows persist over vessels deployed around disputed features.

Philippines National Security Council spokesperson said Manila was surprised by China’s ‘increasing aggression’.

The Philippines and the United States carried out joint maritime exercises for a fifth time in the South China Sea, Manila’s armed forces said on Sunday, in

The Philippines accused China on Tuesday of intimidating its fishermen at a disputed South China Sea shoal, and normalising an "illegal presence", after Beijing sent its largest coast guard vessel into Manila's maritime zone.

The protest stems from the presence of two coast guard vessels on Jan. 5 and Jan. 10 in and around the disputed Scarborough shoal

“As the Philippines takes on the Chairmanship of ASEAN 2026, I invite you to join us in the Philippines for the 29th ASEAN Tourism Ministers’ Meeting in Cebu in January 2026,” Frasco said in a statement, addressing ASEAN nations and partners.

The Philippines is set to host the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Tourism Forum (ATF), an annual gathering of South-East Asian tourism ministers, in Cebu, Manila and Boracay next year,

Philippines’ iconic San Agustin Church in Intramuros is among the attractions at the International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China.

Tensions between Beijing and Manila have intensified in recent months concerning the South China Sea, a region spanning 3.5 million square kilometers (1.35 million square miles) through which an estimated $11.3 billion in global trade passes annually, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The contract, signed in 2022, stated that the Philippine Air Force (PAF) would take delivery of 32 aircraft from Lockheed Martin’s subsidiary PZL Mielec. It would expand the PAF’s existing fleet of 15 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters to 47, boosting its operational capacity.

Philippines protests China's presence in South China Sea, calls for Beijing to respect international laws in EEZ.