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# South China Sea

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Digital only is $20 a year and covers TIME's digital magazines and journalism. Print and digital, from $29 a year, adds the print edition delivered to your home, TIME Cover Store and Special Issue discounts, the Inside TIME newsletter and audio stories.

#### Is TIME a reliable news source?

TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923. Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers.

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Follow South China Sea  


## South China Sea


* ![PHILIPPINES-US-CHINA-MARITIME-DIPLOMACY](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0d0b36d62db74efc/69893b93bc6cfc268d3e713d/gettyimages-451434676.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)  
Oct 2, 2018  
## [China Sails Within Yards of US Destroyer in South China Sea](https://time.com/5412237/china-encounter-decatur-south-china-sea/)  
[WORLD](/section/world/)  
by Eli Meixler
* ![PHILIPPINES-US-CHINA-MARITIME](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8b13579c158edc56/69893b83fb4eac19d9897c87/gettyimages-956324372.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)  
Oct 1, 2018  
## [U.S. Warship Sails Near South China Sea Amid Tensions](https://time.com/5411238/u-s-navy-decatur-south-china-sea/)  
[WORLD](/section/world/)  
by Eli Meixler
* ![Soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army \(PLA\) get ready for the military parade to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the foundation of the army at Zhurihe military training base in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt42e57de99de8ada2/6988d7ef22fb858482e22334/rts19pax.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)  
Aug 1, 2017  
## [Xi Jinping Lauds New, Sleek Military on PLA's 90th Birthday](https://time.com/4881924/xi-jinping-china-pla-sovereignty/)  
[WORLD](/section/world/)  
by Charlie Campbell
* ![FILE PHOTO: US Navy destroyer USS Stethem transits waters east of the Korean peninsula](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltae1e30ab4a0aab1c/6988d45097cdff02bf6b1709/rts19h4v.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)  
Jul 3, 2017  
## [Beijing Hits Out at U.S. Navy Exercises in South China Sea](https://time.com/4843494/donald-trump-south-china-sea-xi-jinping/)  
[WORLD](/section/world/)  
by Charlie Campbell
* ![CHINA-NAVY-MILITARY](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blted6e3b55eb690fd9/6988ce0c196cf4a07a04030f/gettyimages-630829504.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)  
May 19, 2017  
## [Beijing Is Winning the Battle to Control the South China Sea](https://time.com/4785577/south-china-sea-us-china-control/)  
[WORLD](/section/world/)  
by Charlie Campbell  
* ![america-lost-asia](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt04f43d09053688ed/6988b347bc6cfc71c63df998/america-lost-asia.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)  
May 9, 2017  
## [U.S. Navy to Continue Challenging Beijing in South China Sea](https://time.com/4771767/navy-trump-south-china-sea/)  
[WORLD](/section/world/)  
by Ryan Kilpatrick
* ![CHINA-DEFENCE-INDUSTRY](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0ddf82ab16989b30/6988caac656a3f0066bcfb7d/gettyimages-673112514.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)  
Apr 26, 2017  
## [China Launches First Home-Built Aircraft Carrier](https://time.com/4755335/china-aircraft-carrier-naval-power/)  
[WORLD](/section/world/)  
by Kevin Lui
* ![CHINA-SERBIA-DIPLOMACY](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0270e210103f02f1/6988c0f1a988ca47376bb903/gettyimages-660514644.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)  
Apr 3, 2017  
## [Xi Jinping Set for Difficult Meeting With President Trump](https://time.com/4722468/china-xi-jinping-donald-trump-florida-mar-a-lago-north-korea/)  
[WORLD](/section/world/)  
by Charlie Campbell
* ![A satellite View  Paracel Islands in the South China Sea](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1c7e070807812146/6988be64ab6d77eed66ad36d/gettyimages-527643546.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)  
Mar 15, 2017  
## [China Begins New Work in Disputed South China Sea](https://time.com/4701750/south-china-sea-paracel-islands/)  
[WORLD](/section/world/)  
by Reuters
* ![A satellite View of the Crescent Group of Islands](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcec0aa0cf58f0669/6988bd488e0601258c469768/gettyimages-520853136.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)  
Mar 7, 2017  
## [Chinese Authorities Want to Fly Tourists to Disputed Islands](https://time.com/4693102/south-china-sea-disputed-islands-tourists/)  
[WORLD](/section/world/)  
by Ryan Kilpatrick  
* ![NOV 10, 2016: DigitalGlobe imagery \(Closeup-4\) of the Subi Reef in the South China Sea, a part of the Spratly Islands group.  Photo DigitalGlobe via Getty Images.](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt06b91ce49527d2fb/6988bb4f2dce0122139ec5c3/gettyimages-623149328.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)  
Feb 22, 2017  
## [China Is 'Building Missile Structures' on Contested Islands](https://time.com/4678253/china-artificial-south-china-sea-islands-missiles/)  
[WORLD](/section/world/)  
by Kevin Lui
* ![Chinese Aircraft Carrier Fleet Drills In South China Sea](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt10711c7e6799484d/6988b71f524fc08fdcdfada6/gettyimages-6375039221.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)  
Jan 25, 2017  
## [Beijing Warns U.S. to 'Act Cautiously' Over South China Sea](https://time.com/4646253/beijing-us-south-china-sea/)  
[WORLD](/section/world/)  
by Reuters
* ![DigitalGlobe imagery of the Subi Reef in the South China Sea, a part of the Spratly Islands group.  Imagery from May 20, 2016.  Photo DigitalGlobe via Getty Images.](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8de62ecb7753bec9/6988b6ed97cdff26926af393/gettyimages-537734796.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)  
Jan 24, 2017  
## [Trump 'Risks Dangerous Escalation' in South China Sea](https://time.com/4644651/u-s-vows-to-stop-beijing-taking-over-south-china-sea-islands/)  
[POLITICS](/section/politics/)  
by Reuters
* ![Rex Tillerson testifies during his confirmation hearing to become U.S. Secretary of State](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcaa4a883fede827b/6988b5768e060137e2468cd9/rtx2yj1o.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)  
Jan 13, 2017  
## [China to Tillerson: 'Prepare to Fight'](https://time.com/4634078/rex-tillerson-south-china-sea-donald-trump/)  
[WORLD](/section/world/)  
by Charlie Campbell
* ![Taiwan Military Exercise](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt28af0ab99f9403da/6988b0a08fd2eedbe8355120/ap_310064323564.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)  
Dec 5, 2016  
## [On Taiwan, Donald Trump Lays Down the Gauntlet to China](https://time.com/4590139/china-taiwan-donald-trump-call-tsai-ing-wen/)  
[WORLD](/section/world/)  
by Charlie Campbell

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