Chinese amphibious warships, including a helicopter-carrying assault ship, have staged a show of force in the South China Sea, supporting Beijing's territorial claims in the contested region. Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email.

The Chinese coastguard has seized a tiny sandbank in the South China Sea, state media has reported, in an escalation of a regional dispute with the Philippines.State broadcaster CCTV released images of four officers,

The standoff over Sandy Cay, which lies close to military outposts built by both Beijing and Manila, was the latest between the two nations.