AMTI and C4ADS present “Pulling Back the Curtain on China’s Maritime Militia”, a report featuring the most comprehensive study of the militia to date as well as a methodology for identifying militia vessels and over 120 ships thus identified. Read here: cs.is/3ntUlnL

The Philippine Coast Guard has tripled its fleet since 2016 and rapidly improved its capabilities. Sustaining this modernization requires both international assistance and domestic commitment, writes AMTI intern Josiah Gottfried: cs.is/3T23uTd

On the latest episode of #PacificAirwaves , AMTI’s Monica Michiko Sato and CSIS Southeast Asia’s Andreyka Natalegawa discuss the long-awaited renewal of COFA, a torture incident in West Papua, and other developments in the Pacific: cs.is/3VMGhar

President Marcos Jr.’s visit to Washington led to a historic trilateral summit and major announcements in both maritime security and infrastructure investment. Mico Galang breaks down the key takeaways at AMTI: cs.is/4bdj6uy

Japan lodges a formal protest after South Korea’s former justice minister Cho Kuk visits Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo/Takeshima). This incident comes ahead of an expected trilateral summit between China, Japan, and South Korea. bit.ly/3yoddwE The Japan Times

Human activity is causing severe ecological damage in the South China Sea. In recent decades, increased fishing, dredging, and land fill, along with giant clam harvesting, have taken a devastating toll on thousands of species found nowhere else on earth: cs.is/47alHTA

The Philippine government calls on China to respect an upcoming civilian mission intended to deliver fuel and essential supplies to fishermen outside Scarborough Shoal. bit.ly/4bfDUSt Inquirer

U.S. and Taiwan navies conducted unpublicized joint drills last month in the Western Pacific amid rising Chinese military threats. bit.ly/3WJGhIS Reuters

An average of 195 Chinese maritime militia boats could be seen in satellite imagery of key reefs across the South China Sea on any given day in 2023, an increase of 35% from last year. See the full analysis at AMTI: cs.is/3US2hjW

Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration reports that five China Coast Guard ships sailed through waters off Taiwan-controlled Kinmen for three hours, six days before the inauguration of incoming Taiwan president William Lai. bit.ly/4dHvncU The Straits Times

China denies Philippine reports that it is trying to build an artificial island at Sabina Shoal. The Philippines says it will keep a closer guard on its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea. bit.ly/3yn80Fd Reuters

Hundreds of rocks, reefs, and shoals are scattered across the disputed South China Sea. Learn more about them at AMTI: cs.is/29MVC4J

The Philippine Coast Guard has tripled its fleet since 2016 and rapidly improved its capabilities. Sustaining this modernization requires both international assistance and domestic commitment, writes AMTI intern Josiah Gottfried: cs.is/3T23uTd

Explore AMTI’s Island Tracker for the latest high-res satellite imagery of occupied islands, reefs, rocks, and shoals across the South China Sea: amti.csis.org/island-tracker/

A searchable map of every feature in the South China Sea, with links to satellite imagery from our Island Tracker and filters to toggle by occupier and legal status—find it at AMTI: cs.is/29MVC4J

Two Chinese navy ships have now spent over four months docked at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base. Is this the beginning of a long-rumored permanent Chinese presence at Ream? cs.is/3W0KGXt

It’s high time for the United States to establish an Indo-Pacific Maritime Governance Center of Excellence, argues John Bradford: cs.is/3HFFLmH

AMTI’s map of South China Sea Energy Exploration and Development has been refreshed for 2023 with new blocks and updated stakeholders: cs.is/2N9vvEv

The number of Chinese vessels at Second Thomas Shoal during resupply missions has increased substantially since 2021, while Philippine ship counts have remained consistently low. See what the data says about China-Philippine tensions at AMTI: cs.is/3SjnTCP

The China Coast Guard is central to Beijing’s efforts to assert control over its vast maritime claim in the South China Sea. See the full data on their 2023 activity at AMTI: cs.is/4aeMVLh