For the first time ever, India and the Philippines launched a series of sailing and naval exercises in the South China Sea, starting August 3.
The patrol was described by Shri Harsh Kumar Jain, Indian ambassador to the Philippines, as a demonstration of both countries’ mutual support for maintaining freedom of navigation and upholding a free, open, and rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region.
The joint venture happened in the South China Sea, a place of growing tensions. Indeed, the Philippines and China have territorial disputes over the control of some islands, while India wants to affirm itself as a global power.
The South China Sea is not the only body of water where rival nations are competing. Indeed, tensions remain high in global seas with rising conflict between different nations. Every year, the maritime borders become a hot spot for political altercations that leave the world wondering what new conflicts are in store.
So, how close are we to seeing such tensions fuel a broader maritime crisis?
Click through to explore the growing threats to global peace.