Philippines Warns of Long-Term South China Sea Struggle Across 7,600 Islands as China Presses Claims
Updated
Updated · CNBC · May 30
Philippines Warns of Long-Term South China Sea Struggle Across 7,600 Islands as China Presses Claims
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · May 30
Gilberto Teodoro said the Philippines now faces a “long-term struggle” with China in the South China Sea, describing maritime tensions as increasingly intense.
China claims almost all of the sea, including waters overlapping the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, and has built up structures on disputed shoals to reinforce those claims.
Teodoro said Manila has pursued negotiations and arbitration under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, but China’s actions have continued “unabated.”
For the Philippines, success would mean halting China’s further advance and stopping any new artificial-island construction in waters Manila says are vital to its 7,600-island archipelago.
Beyond island building, is China waging an environmental war to control the South China Sea's resources?
With China ignoring the 2016 ruling, is international maritime law now powerless in the South China Sea?
When fishing boats are a state militia, how can nations protect their people without starting a war?
The Philippines vs. China in the South China Sea: Legal Victories, Military Alliances, and the Ongoing Risk of Escalation (2025–2026)
Overview
From 2025 to 2026, the South China Sea entered a phase of managed tension, with confrontations persisting but at lower frequency and intensity. China, the Philippines, and Vietnam have tried to balance coercive actions with diplomatic engagement, aiming to reduce short-term escalation risks. However, this approach keeps the region volatile in the long run. Renewed efforts in early 2026 focused on managing tensions through diplomacy, limited economic cooperation, and routine presence operations. This dynamic highlights the ongoing struggle between maintaining stability and addressing underlying disputes, shaping the region’s complex and uncertain future.