Major powers are wading deeper into the South China Sea in a series of moves that promise to rile China while answering US calls for like-minded nations to counter jointly Beijing's rising assertiveness in the crucial and contested maritime area. Japan recently announced a new package of defense aid to the Philippines, the first-ever under the official development assistance (ODA) mechanism. At the same time, the United Kingdom is deploying its largest-ever naval flotilla to the region in recent memory, led by the newly-minted aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Heydarian, R. J. (2021, May 11). Anti-China alliance coalescing in South China Sea. Daily Guardian, pp. 4, 5.