Chinese Warships Shadow US Allies in Contested Waters
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Japan and the Philippines—both treaty allies of the United States—have conducted a joint naval exercise in the contested South China Sea, where they were shadowed by Chinese warships.
The Chinese military confirmed that it conducted sea and air patrols in the South China Sea on Saturday, in response to the Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) organized by the U.S. allies.
Why It Matters
China, the Philippines, and other regional nations maintain overlapping sovereignty claims in the energy-rich South China Sea. Confrontations and clashes between the navies and coast guards of rival claimants are an ongoing problem.
The Philippines, which has a mutual defense treaty with the U.S., frequently conducts drills with allies to assert its sovereignty in the South China Sea. The latest joint exercise follows Japan's ratification of an agreement allowing reciprocal military visits with the Philippines.
What To Know
The MCA was conducted on Saturday in South China Sea waters west of Luzon, the Philippines' main island, according to Japan's Kyodo News. The drill involved the Japanese destroyer JS Takanami and the Philippine frigate BRP Miguel Malvar.
A pair of Chinese naval vessels monitored the allied warships in nearby waters, according to imagery from the Philippines' ABS-CBN News. The Chinese navy kept its distance and did not challenge the exercise, which focused on anti-submarine warfare, Kyodo News reported.
LOOK: Two Chinese PLA Navy vessels were spotted around the exercise zone of the MCA just minutes after the event started. The Chinese vessels shadowed both the BRP Miguel Malvar and the Japanese destroyer JS Takanami during the maritime drills. | via @manahan_job pic.twitter.com/GR1x22m7zF — ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) June 14, 2025
The bilateral war game demonstrated what the Armed Forces of the Philippines described as "joint capability in a wide array of naval operations," adding that cooperation with Japan will be more responsive to the complex demands of their shared security environment.
The Joint Staff of Japan's Defense Ministry said in a statement that Tokyo and Manila are committed to upholding the rights of freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as respect for maritime rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Meanwhile, the Chinese military's Southern Theater Command, which focuses on the South China Sea, accused the Philippines of raising security risks in the region by conducting joint patrols with so-called non-regional countries—though it did not specifically mention Japan.
The Chinese military command claimed that its units remain on high alert to "resolutely safeguard" the country's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea.
A Philippine naval helicopter hovers above the Japanese destroyer JS Takanami during a joint maritime exercise in the South China Sea on June 14, 2025.
A Philippine naval helicopter hovers above the Japanese destroyer JS Takanami during a joint maritime exercise in the South China Sea on June 14, 2025.
Kyodo via AP Images
What People Are Saying
General Romeo Brawner Jr., chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said in a statement on Sunday: "This cooperative activity is more than a display of maritime capability—it is a manifestation of our enduring commitment to uphold peace, stability, and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific."
The Joint Staff of Japan's Defense Ministry said in a statement on Sunday: "The activity was conducted in a manner consistent with international law and with due regard to the freedom of navigation and the rights and interests of other states."
Air Force Senior Colonel Tian Junli, spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), said in a statement on Sunday: "Any military activities that disrupt the South China Sea and create hotspots are all under control."
What Happens Next
Both the Philippines and China are expected to maintain their military presence in the South China Sea. It remains to be seen whether other U.S. allies will conduct drills in the region.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
26 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump Defends 'Weak Dollar,' Economic Analysts Respond
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump defended the weakening U.S. dollar during a conversation with reporters Friday. "Well, you know, I'm a person that likes a strong dollar, but a weak dollar makes you a hell of a lot more money," Trump said in a media Q&A. Newsweek spoke with financial experts about the matter. Why It Matters While the U.S. dollar gained ground Friday, it still set for a weekly drop amid ongoing tariff negotiations and The Fed's bank meeting scheduled for next week. This week marks the greatest drop in a month, with the dollar index standing at 97.448. That shows a 1 percent weekly decline, while the euro stayed at $1.1754, close to its four-year high of $1.183. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he departs the White House on July 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he departs the White House on July 15, 2025 in Washington, To Know During Trump's conversation with reporters, he defended the declining value of the U.S. dollar, arguing that there were actually some benefits to the currency losing value. "When we have a strong dollar, one thing happens," Trump said. "It sounds good, but you don't do any tourism.... You can't sell anything. It is good for inflation. That's about it." Trump went on to say the U.S. has wiped out inflation. "I will never say I like a low currency, but you remember the battles I China, with Japan... They always wanted a weak currency. They're trying to get a weak currency now." However, economists have warned that the weakening U.S. dollar is likely to spark a price hike on everyday items while also forcing U.S. travelers to pay more when abroad. "A weaker dollar does have certain benefits—particularly for multinational corporations and U.S. exporters. It makes American goods more competitive abroad and can boost earnings when foreign profits are converted back into dollars," Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek. "But let's be clear: the U.S. is a consumer-driven, import-heavy economy. A weaker dollar makes imports more expensive, which can drive inflation. So while there are benefits on the corporate side, it also hurts households by increasing the cost of everyday goods." Thompson also said Trump's comments on inflation were incorrect, as consumers are still facing price increases in many areas. "He's dead wrong," Thompson said. "We're still seeing elevated prices in areas like energy, particularly piped gas, and in household essentials. Food costs continue to climb, especially meat, and many families are seeing higher utility bills. Disinflation doesn't mean prices are falling—it just means they're rising more slowly, but they're still rising." In June, the consumer price index for all urban consumers climbed 0.3 percent, seasonally adjusted. Meanwhile, food was up 3 percent year-over-year, not seasonally adjusted. So far this year, the dollar has dropped more than 10 percent in value relative to foreign currencies from many of America's trading partners. Thompson said the U.S. dollar's weakness stems from a mix of concerns over U.S. fiscal policy. "Continued deficit spending and ballooning debt levels have led to questions about long-term economic stability. Since the dollar is the world's reserve currency, its strength is tied to global trust in our economy," Thompson said. Trump's ongoing tariff negotiations have also signaled alarm amongst some economists, who say that the heightened tariffs could be passed along by importers via higher prices. What People Are Saying Peter Schiff, chief economist and global strategist at wrote on X: "Trump said he wants a strong dollar but he also wants a weaker dollar. He says a strong dollar makes you feel better, but a weak dollar makes you richer. He also claimed he crushed inflation. His policies are highly inflationary. Trump's weak dollar dream will be a nightmare." Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: "A weaker dollar can have some benefits, namely in the form of cheaper exports which can boost demand for our goods and services internationally. However, the cons can easily outweigh the pros. A weaker dollar equates to higher prices on many items for American consumers, particularly on imports." Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast, told Newsweek: "Despite no rate cuts yet this year, the dollar has weakened due to shifting interest rate expectations and a broader macroeconomic backdrop. Historically, higher U.S. interest rates attract capital, strengthening the dollar—but even with relatively high rates, the dollar is off to one of its worst starts in decades." What Happens Next For everyday Americans, the declining U.S. dollar could continue to impact their wallets after years of inflationary pressures, experts say. "Inflationary pressures have already left a sizable dent in many Americans' wallets in the years since the pandemic. Further weakening of the dollar could just prolong this effect," Beene said.
Newsweek
28 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump Dealt Legal Blow Over Sanctuary Cities
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A federal judge dealt a blow to President Donald Trump and his immigration agenda when she dismissed a lawsuit the administration filed against Illinois and Chicago over their "sanctuary city" policies. The Department of Justice sued the defendants in early February, alleging that their sanctuary city policies were hindering federal authorities from conducting immigration enforcement actions. In her ruling Friday, U.S. District Judge Lindsay Jenkins said she was dismissing the case because the U.S. "lacks standing" to sue the defendants "with respect to the Sanctuary Policies," adding that the lawsuit from the DOJ was an effort to encroach on state sovereignty. This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
Politico
28 minutes ago
- Politico
Cuomo returned 60 sketchy donations
With help from Amira McKee Andrew Cuomo's mayoral campaign immediately flagged and refunded a tranche of apparent straw donations in March — and now there's a 'law enforcement investigation' related to his campaign, according to official documents. On March 30, the Cuomo campaign reported receiving 57 separate donations from people with Chinese names who listed their occupation as 'unemployed.' Every donation came from the ZIP code 11354 in Flushing, Queens, and all the contributions came in multiples of 10, between $10 and $60. The contributions were, to put it bluntly, extremely sketchy, and carried some hallmarks of straw donations — an illegal practice where campaign contributions are made in another person's name. The campaign refunded every one of them the next day, plus three more similar contributions from people who listed their occupation as 'venerable' and shared the address of the Western Buddhist Association, a temple in Borough Park, Brooklyn. In total, the campaign gave up just $1,280, though it could have garnered up to $10,240 more in public funds if the donations were matched. One of the refunded contributions was from Chang Kuan of the Western Buddhist Association. Just three weeks after the campaign rejected the donation, Cuomo sent out a press release touting Kuan's endorsement with other faith leaders. The association didn't respond to a request for comment. It isn't clear whether those donations are under investigation. A letter from the New York City Campaign Finance Board in response to Playbook's routine Freedom of Information Law request for its communications with the Cuomo campaign suggested the existence of a probe, though. 'Some records are being withheld because they were 'compiled for law enforcement purposes and ... if disclosed, would ... interfere with law enforcement investigations....'' the letter read, quoting state law about what records are exempt from public disclosure. Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said the campaign did the right thing, and quickly. 'It appears the correspondence being withheld relates to online contributions submitted to the campaign that were immediately flagged by our internal compliance as being improper, refunded within 24 hours, and disclosed to the CFB,' Azzopardi said in a statement. 'Subsequently, we had follow up communications with the CFB about those contributions. To the extent that there is a law enforcement review, we are neither aware of nor party to it and refer you back to CFB for any further questions.' The CFB declined to comment. And the district attorneys offices for Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn all said they couldn't confirm or deny the existence of any related investigations. The Cuomo campaign has received scrutiny for other practices unrelated to potential straw donors. The CFB withheld some public funds from the campaign while it investigated possible coordination with pro-Cuomo super PAC Fix the City. On May 30, the board said the investigation would continue. The campaign has denied wrongdoing. The Cuomo campaign's quick action is first being reported here in Playbook just days after THE CITY reported on another instance of potential straw donors to Mayor Eric Adams' 2025 campaign. Adams has been dogged by such accusations, which featured in his federal indictment that was later dropped. He has denied knowingly taking any illegal contributions and defended his compliance team Thursday. 'We follow all rules,' he said. — Jeff Coltin From the Capitol UPROAR AT HOCHUL'S REDISTRICTING FLIRTATION: Republicans are up in arms about Gov. Kathy Hochul's comments Thursday suggesting she may move to redraw New York's congressional lines in response to Trump-led efforts to redraw the maps in GOP-dominated Texas. 'New York's State Constitution could not be more clear: mid-decade redistricting is illegal,' state GOP Chair Ed Cox said in a statement. 'Kathy Hochul and Albany Democrats are again ignoring the law as they telegraph their latest attempt to rig our elections.' On Thursday, Hochul told reporters she and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will consider redrawing New York's maps after President Donald Trump's allies successfully pressed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this month to call for the state Legislature to hold a special session focused on redistricting. 'All's fair in love and war,' Hochul said during an unrelated event in Buffalo. 'We're following the rules. We do redistricting every 10 years. But if there's other states violating the rules and are trying to give themselves an advantage, all I'll say is, I'm going to look at it closely with Hakeem Jeffries.' POLITICO reported Thursday that House Minority Leader Jeffries' team already spoke with Hochul's office about redistricting earlier this month, following the Texas governor's announcement. Ed Ra, the ranking Republican member of the Assembly's Ways and Means committee, said in a statement that redrawing the maps 'would blatantly violate our State Constitution and undermine the work of the independent redistricting commission approved by New York voters.' — Jason Beeferman SENATE BUDGET MAN DEPARTS: The state Senate Democrats' top budget aide is departing. David Friedfel, who's served as the secretary to the Senate Finance Committee for the last five years, made the announcement on his LinkedIn page. 'After a wonderful five sessions serving as Secretary to the New York State Senate Finance Committee, I have decided it is time to take on a new role,' he wrote. 'I'm still trying to figure out what my next chapter will hold, so please reach out with any words of wisdom.' Friedfel is highly respected among Democratic state lawmakers; he's expected to stay on and help with the transition for his replacement. — Nick Reisman FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL 'NOBODY CARES ABOUT EPSTEIN LIST': Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman — a potential Republican gubernatorial candidate next year — said Thursday that no one cares about the so-called Jeffrey Epstein list. '[Trump] is a guy who has gotten victory after victory after victory, and all they want to ask him is about these stupid Epstein lists,' Blakeman said. 'Nobody cares about the Epstein list except Democrats. Do your job. Do your job. Stop worrying about the Epstein list.' Blakeman made the remarks during an interview with conservative radio host Sid Rosenberg on an issue that — at least momentarily — has divided the MAGA movement. A Quinnipiac University national poll conducted earlier this month found 40 percent of Republicans approve of the Trump administration's handling of the so-called Jeffrey Epstein files, while 36 percent disapprove and 24 percent did not offer an opinion. Hochul and other Democrats have attempted to capitalize on the discord between Trump's MAGA base and the president over releasing information related to Epstein's child sex trafficking ring. 'While Bruce Blakeman broke his silence on the Epstein files, Elise Stefanik is too much of a coward and too busy enabling Trump's cover-up to come clean to New Yorkers about whether or not she wants the files to be released,' Addison Dick, the spokesperson for the Hochul-led state Democratic Party, said in a statement. 'As new revelations about Trump's close friendship with Epstein surface every day, Stefanik owes New Yorkers answers, not excuses.' Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, also running for governor, hasn't said much on the issue — but slammed a story from The Wall Street Journal that said Trump allegedly sent a sexually suggestive letter to Epstein wishing that every day should be 'another wonderful secret.' Trump says the letter is fake. POLITICO has not independently verified its existence. Stefanik's spokesperson also slammed Democrats last week for 'desperately creating false narratives to distract from their own policy failures' and noted that the party had little focus on the issue until recently. — Jason Beeferman ZOHRAN'S NEW CAMPAIGN SQUAD: Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani announced a slate of new hires today. Maya Handa, who ran state Sen. Zellnor Myrie's campaign for mayor, is taking over as Mamdani's campaign manager. Afua Atta-Mensah, an organizer who helped lead left-leaning groups Community Change and Community Voices Heard, is joining the campaign to serve as its senior political director. And Debra Khan, who previously advised the president of the powerful service workers union 32BJ SEIU, will become the campaign's director of labor and intergovernmental affairs. Despite Mamdani's proud democratic socialist brand, he has also hired a slate of new communications staffers whose backgrounds more reflect that of Jeffries and the Democratic establishment than the left-leaning groups who played key roles early on in his campaign. — Jason Beeferman STOP HORSING AROUND: The leader of the horse carriage drivers union is threatening to sue mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa for claiming Transport Workers Union leadership is taking bribes. 'There is money under the table to the TWU leadership,' Sliwa said at an animal rights rally Wednesday at City Hall. 'I become mayor, the investigation begins. This industry will be closed. The men and women of the industry will have jobs with electrified carriages that exist in the rest of the world.' TWU International President John Samuelsen shot back in a statement shared with Playbook: 'As pathetic as it is, he has the right to run for NYC Mayor, but that muppety character in a low-budget Batman movie doesn't have the right to slander the leadership of TWU Local 100, and we will be bringing an immediate action against him for defamation.' Sliwa didn't immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Samuelsen's statement. — Jeff Coltin IN OTHER NEWS — SOCIALIST VS. INCUMBENT: The likely showdown between Mamdani and Adams shares stark similarities with Buffalo's 2021 mayoral race. (Gothamist) — GENERATION M: Gen Z New Yorkers voted for Mamdani in the primary election by a wide margin — now they're trying to convince their parents. (The New York Times) — SLIWA MEETS THE BIG BIZ LEADER: Sliwa left the red beret at home and met with Kathy Wylde, CEO of Partnership for New York City, to discuss his plans for the city. (New York Post) Missed this morning's New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.
