China’s military said on Wednesday it drove away a Dutch navy vessel it accused of “illegally intruding” into the area around the Paracel Islands in the contested South China Sea. Beijing claims the South China Sea in nearly its entirety despite a 2016 international ruling rejecting its assertion, fueling tensions with its regional neighbors, including the Philippines.

Chinese military drives away dutch warship in South China Sea. (2026, May 29). The Manila Times, p. B7.