Researchers studying crustaceans in Vietnam have identified a new "supergiant" sea bug species that bears a surprising resemblance to a classic movie villain.

China's claims in the South China Sea overlap with those of the Philippines, which is a U.S. security treaty ally.

Experts however, warn that Manila’s strategy of having several warships patrolling at once could strain resources and leave the navy vulnerable to targeted attacks.

A Philippine security official says China is “pushing us to the wall” with growing aggression in the disputed South China Sea and warned that “all options are on the table” for Manila’s response, including new international lawsuits.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the United States' defense commitment to the Philippines in a conversation with Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo, discussing China's destabilizing actions in the South China Sea and the strengthening of economic and security cooperation within the region.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday met virtually with his counterparts from Japan and the Philippines to advance cooperation among the three countries, the White House said.

Southeast Asian foreign ministers are gathering for their first meeting this year under the regional bloc’s new chair, Malaysia, seeking a breakthrough over Myanmar’s drawn-out civil war and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

The regional bloc ASEAN and China should make headway on a protracted code of conduct for the South China Sea by tackling thorny "milestone issues", including its scope and if it can be legally binding,

The United States is not a party to the issue of the South China Sea and has no right to interfere in maritime issues between China and the Philippines, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday after Washington and Manila made unwarranted remarks against Beijing.

There will always be border disputes in Asia, and China should not be singled out because of tensions in the South China Sea, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Wednesday.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed Washington's commitment to Manila and condemned Beijing for its "dangerous and destabilising" actions in the Sea, in his first phone call with Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo.