Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The South China Sea is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes - much of what the world buys and sells passes through this single stretch of water. But who controls this sea is hotly disputed. The Philippines says part of the sea falls into its economic exclusion zone, but China has a very different view. And that’s led to an increasing number of confrontations at sea.
On Foreign Correspondent reporter Timothy Swanston travels to the disputed territory on board a Filipino vessel and witnesses first-hand the tense interactions with the Chinese Coast Guard. At a time when the world is impacted by critical maritime routes being closed due to the US/Israel war on Iran, the Philippines Defence Minister tells him the rest of the world should be concerned by China's actions if they want to preserve the freedom of this vital sea lane.
Foreign Correspondent is the prime-time international public affairs program on Australia's national broadcaster, ABC-TV. We produce half-hour duration in-depth reports for broadcast across the ABC's television channels and digital platforms. Since 1992, our teams have journeyed to more than 170 countries to report on conflict, natural disasters and social and political upheaval – through the eyes of the people at the heart of it all.
Welcome to ABC News In-depth, where you'll find our long-form journalism and other videos to help you understand what's going on in the world around you.
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0:00 Tensions in the South China Sea
2:38 Wargaming the Defense of the Philippines
7:06 Confrontations on the High Seas
9:04 Voyage to the Edge of the Territory
15:57 Life on the Front Line
22:08 Geopolitical Shifts and Global Alliances
The South China Sea is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes - much of what the world buys and sells passes through this single stretch of water. But who controls this sea is hotly disputed. The Philippines says part of the sea falls into its economic exclusion zone, but China has a very different view. And that’s led to an increasing number of confrontations at sea.
On Foreign Correspondent reporter Timothy Swanston travels to the disputed territory on board a Filipino vessel and witnesses first-hand the tense interactions with the Chinese Coast Guard. At a time when the world is impacted by critical maritime routes being closed due to the US/Israel war on Iran, the Philippines Defence Minister tells him the rest of the world should be concerned by China's actions if they want to preserve the freedom of this vital sea lane.
Foreign Correspondent is the prime-time international public affairs program on Australia's national broadcaster, ABC-TV. We produce half-hour duration in-depth reports for broadcast across the ABC's television channels and digital platforms. Since 1992, our teams have journeyed to more than 170 countries to report on conflict, natural disasters and social and political upheaval – through the eyes of the people at the heart of it all.
Welcome to ABC News In-depth, where you'll find our long-form journalism and other videos to help you understand what's going on in the world around you.
Watch more ABC News content ad-free on ABC iview: ab.co/2OB7Mk1
Subscribe: ab.co/3yqPOZ5
For more from ABC News, click here: ab.co/2kxYCZY
Get breaking news and livestreams from our ABC News channel: youtube.com/user/NewsOnABC
Like ABC News on Facebook: facebook.com/abcnews.au
Follow ABC News on Instagram: instagram.com/abcnews_au
Follow ABC News on Twitter: twitter.com/abcnews
0:00 Tensions in the South China Sea
2:38 Wargaming the Defense of the Philippines
7:06 Confrontations on the High Seas
9:04 Voyage to the Edge of the Territory
15:57 Life on the Front Line
22:08 Geopolitical Shifts and Global Alliances
