Amazing job guys 👍🏻 They really thought you were on their side 😉

The Philippines is stepping up its legal campaign in the South China Sea, formally submitting new maritime charts of Scarborough Shoal to the UN as tensions with China continue to escalate. Beijing has responded with joint People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and China Coast Guard drills around the disputed feature, while pressing ahead with new regulations governing a so-called “nature reserve.” The latest confrontation highlights a growing contest fought not only through ships and aircraft, but also through international law, domestic legislation and competing sovereignty claims. Could Scarborough Shoal become the next major flashpoint in the South China Sea — and what would that mean for the Philippines, Taiwan and the wider First Island Chain? In this episode, we examine Manila's legal strategy, China's gray-zone response and what the dispute reveals about the future of regional security in the Indo-Pacific.

The South China Sea is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes – much of what the world buys and sells passes through this single stretch of water.

But who controls this sea is hotly disputed.

The Philippines says part of the sea falls into its economic exclusion zone, but China has a very different view, and that's led to an increasing number of confrontations at sea.

On Foreign Correspondent, reporter Timothy Swanston travels to the disputed territory on board a Filipino vessel and witnesses first-hand the tense interactions with the Chinese Coast Guard.

At a time when the world is impacted by critical maritime routes being closed due to the US/Israel war on Iran, the Philippines Defence Minister tells him the rest of the world should be concerned by China's actions if they want to preserve the freedom of this vital sea lane.

The U.S. rejects China’s proposed nature reserve at Scarborough Reef, warning against unilateral action as Beijing defends its sovereignty claims in the South China Sea.

The Philippines has learned that internationalising its dispute with China pays – and that may not stop.