China Claiming Territory of The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.

China is claiming maritime territory belonging to The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan to try to get the fishing and natural resources in that territory.

Chinese dredgers have been building artificial islands as a means of asserting their presence in disputed areas.

Lily Kuo and Agnes Chang wrote in the New York Times article "How China Is Building Its Next Outpost at Sea" (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/04/22/world/asia/south-china-s…):

"Such islands typically have airstrips, radar, electronic warfare facilities and missile bunkers. The bases support China’s Navy and Air Force, helping them operate farther from China’s mainland. China’s Coast Guard and maritime militia, made up of thousands of civilian fishing boats that help assert Beijing’s presence in the waters, use them too...

...Between 2013 and 2017, China built or expanded more than 20 military outposts in the South China Sea that are able to house troops. That included three larger military bases across the Spratly Islands — a chain more than 900 miles from the Chinese mainland, but within 300 miles of the Philippine coast — and one in the Paracels. The island-building campaign, which was unprecedented in its scope and speed, prompted international condemnation and damaged China’s ties with its Southeast Asian neighbors as well as the United States."

REFERENCES
"Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea" by the Center for Preventive Action for The Council on Foreign Relations
https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/territorial-disput…

"How China’s actions in the South China Sea undermine the rule of law" by Lynn Kuok for Brookings
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/how-chinas-actions-in-the-south-chin…

"Uncovering China’s attacks on investigative journalism in the Philippines" by Alvin Camba for The Atlantic Council
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/uncovering-chinas-attacks-on…

"Philippines says China vessel conducting ‘illegal’ research near gas-rich Reed bank" by Reuters for Rappler
https://www.rappler.com/philippines/china-vessel-conducting-illegal-res…

"Filipino fisherfolk assert rights on West PH Sea over China’s ‘detention orders’" by Dominic Gutoman for Bulatlat
Filipino fisherfolk assert rights on West PH Sea over China’s ‘detention orders’

"‘Food Delivery’ documentary brings the West Philippine Sea conflict closer to our stomachs" by Maverick Avila for Bulatlat
https://www.bulatlat.com/2025/09/15/food-delivery-documentary-brings-th…

"Vietnam is taking a leaf out of China’s playbook to build fortified islands in the disputed South China Sea" by Brad Lendon for CNN World
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/28/asia/vietnam-south-china-sea-islands-int…