South China Sea tensions: What lies behind latest confrontations

Editor's Note: The South China Sea remains a focal point of regional security concerns, with rising tensions, competing narratives, and shifting alliances shaping the future of the region. Is the latest confrontation another isolated maritime incident, or part of a wider geopolitical contest? Can diplomacy still help manage differences and preserve regional stability? In this episode of The Hub, Wang Guan examines the latest developments in the South China Sea with Anna Rosario Malinger-Uy, vice president for External Affairs and director of the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, and secretary general of the Association for Philippines-China Understanding; Lim Tai Wei, professor of Economics at Soka University; and Zhou Bo, senior fellow at Tsinghua University's Centre for International Security and Strategy. The panel explores the significance of the meeting between Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, examines the evolving dynamics between China, the Philippines, the United States, and ASEAN, and discusses how strategic choices and competing narratives are shaping regional relations.