• Tensions have heightened at the Second Thomas Shoal as China has begun blocking maneuvers and disrupting supply missions.
• The Philippines has rejected China's assertion of having reached an agreement on the South China Sea dispute, dismissing it as propaganda.
• Located near the Spratly Islands, the Second Thomas Shoal is a submerged reef within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), contested by China.

The South China Sea spans a vast area in the western Pacific Ocean, extending from Singapore and the Strait of Malacca in the southwest to the Strait of Taiwan in the northeast. This region is marked by significant geopolitical tensions primarily stemming from territorial disputes. A key point of contention revolves around China's assertion of the "nine-dash line," which encompasses much of the South China Sea and conflicts with the exclusive economic zone claims of several other nations, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The dispute involves various contested features, such as:

• The Paracel Islands, controlled by China but also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.
• The Spratly Islands, subject to claims by multiple countries, including China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia.
• Scarborough Shoal, which is claimed by China, Taiwan, and the Philippines.