South China Sea

In today's polarised world, the situation in this hugely significant region of the Pacific is frequently portrayed as either Chinese expansionism or American imperialism. As ever, the truth of the matter is much more complicated.

Harris and the US administration has faced harsh criticism over her Asian tour, organised amid the problem-stricken withdrawal from Afghanistan and chaos at the Kabul Airport, as well as the failure to evacuate all of the Afghans who helped NATO forces.

Chinese soldiers conduct landing drills amid South China tensions with Taiwan.

China's military said it drove out an American ship from a disputed area of the South China Sea on Monday.

The Biden administration has upheld a Trump-era rejection of nearly all significant Chinese maritime claims in the South China Sea.