China's coast guard said the Philippines on Friday sent a civilian vessel to deliver provisions to its warship "illegally grounded" at Second Thomas Shoal, a disputed atoll in the South China Sea.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged in discussions with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono focusing on trade, maritime security, and stability in the South China Sea. The talks also highlighted Indonesia's role in Middle East peace and reconstruction efforts.

Japan and Indonesia agreed to enhance cooperation on maritime security with an eye on China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea over territorial claims.

Southeast Asian foreign ministers are gathering for their first meeting this year under the regional bloc’s new chair, Malaysia, seeking a breakthrough over Myanmar’s drawn-out civil war and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

There will always be border disputes in Asia, and China should not be singled out because of tensions in the South China Sea, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Wednesday.

The protest stems from the presence of two coast guard vessels on Jan. 5 and Jan. 10 in and around the disputed Scarborough shoal, one of which was a 165 m (541ft) long boat referred to by the Philippines as "the monster".

Japan and Indonesia have pledged to deepen economic and defense ties during a visit by the Japanese prime minister amid heightened global geopolitical tensions

The two countries on Thursday held a 10th round of talks under a bilateral consultation mechanism set up to address issues in the South China Sea, where disputes have been frequent and tense, with ties at their lowest point in years.

Jakarta's negotiations to acquire the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from India have gained momentum ahead of president Prabowo Subianto's visit as the Republic Day chief guest

The Japanese prime minister visited Indonesia and Malaysia, as part of efforts to integrate the Southeast Asian nations into Tokyo’s preparations for a catastrophic US-led war against China.

Moving, surprising, inspiring, terrifying, shocking... This is a selection of images from our planet, over the past week.