The Latest Breaking News from the South China Sea

The leaders of Japan and the Philippines head to Washington this week for a first trilateral summit aimed at boosting defence ties, hot on the heels of four-way military drills in the South China Sea that riled Beijing.

The maritime activities took place days before US President Joe Biden was due to hold the first trilateral summit with the leaders of the Philippines and Japan, with growing tensions over the hotly contested South China Sea on the agenda.

A senior lawmaker from Australia recently visited Taiwan and discussed the potential for security cooperation between the two countries. The visit comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region, with China's increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea and its ongoing efforts to isolate Taiwan diplomatically.

China conducted "combat patrols" Sunday in the South China Sea, its army said, the same day the Philippines, the United States, Japan and Australia held their first joint drills in the disputed waters.