U.S. Navy destroyer confronts China near Scarborough Shoal as naval power shifts in Indo-Pacific. Military experts warn of growing Chinese capabilities.

China has undertaken a massive expansion of sites linked to missile production since 2020, bolstering its ability to potentially deter the US military and assert its dominance in the region, a new CNN analysis of satellite images,

The photos were taken by a satellite in the Jilin-1 commercial constellation, developed by Chang Guang Satellite Technology—a company with reported links to China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), according to the U.S. Air Force’s China Aerospace Studies Institute.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth says he had a "positive" meeting with China’s defense chief Dong Jun as both sides agreed to open military channels to ease tensions.

State broadcaster CCTV says suggestions the PLA had caused a plane and helicopter to crash in the South China Sea are ‘conspiracy theories’.

Philippine forces will hold anti-invasion drills across Northern Luzon and the South China Sea this month to test the country’s ability to defend against threats amid tensions with China. The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ annual joint exercise “Dagit,

The Philippines’ top defense official called for deeper military ties with the US in a bid to face down mutual threats amid worsening relations with Beijing.

Beijing and Washington may be set to revive dormant military communication channels, but it is just a first step and the two sides are still some way from genuine trust, an observer has cautioned. The assessment followed US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's announcement on social media on Sunday that the two countries had "agreed that we should set up military-to-military channels to deconflict and de-escalate any problems that arise".

The Chinese government followed through on promises it made publicly after a recent summit, but has not yet taken other actions sought by the White House.