US, UK, France, Germany Echo Alarm About Chinese Activities Off Eastern Taiwan
The United States, Britain, France and Germany raised the alarm on Wednesday over recent Chinese activities off the east coast of Taiwan, where China has mounted Coast Guard patrols, saying they threaten regional stability and freedom of navigation.China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, sent Coast Guard ships earlier in June into the waters off the island's east coast for what it called a "special maritime traffic law-enforcement operation," angering…
Chinese Advanced Aircraft Carrier Passes Through Sensitive Taiwan Strait
China's newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, the Taiwanese defence ministry said, the first such mission in the sensitive waterway since April.Taiwan, which Beijing views as its territory, reports almost daily Chinese military activity around the island in what Taipei views as an ongoing pressure campaign against the democratically elected government.In a brief statement, the ministry said the Fujian had passed through the strait.The military used "joint intelligence…
Chinese Licensees Expand J-ENG Engine Manufacturing Capacity
Japan Engine Corporation (J-ENG) engine licensees in China, Guangzhou Diesel Engine Factory (GDF) and Zhejiang Yungpu Diesel Engine (YDE), are expanding their UE engine manufacturing capacity in response to the strong engine demand in China's rapidly growing shipbuilding market.GDF has completed its new Guangzhou factory (Guangdong Province, China) which has been fully operational since October 2025. Furthermore, GDF is planning to expand its facilities at its Jingjiang factory (Jiangsu Province…
Bureau Veritas Appoints New Leaders for Marine & Offshore for Asia Pacific, Greater China
Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) has announced the appointment of Dr. Jeffrey Guo as Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, and Maciej Lepicki as Vice President, Greater China, effective June 1, 2026.As Senior Vice President for Asia Pacific, Jeffrey succeeds Alex Gregg-Smith, who was appointed President of BV Marine & Offshore in January 2026. He will oversee the strategic development and operational management of BV's maritime business across the region, with responsibility for market growth…
Saudi Crude Supply to China Remain at Record Low in July
Saudi Arabia's crude oil sales to China are expected to stay at record lows in July as elevated prices in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran continue to weigh on demand from the world's largest crude importer, sources familiar with the matter said.The allocations, closely watched by market participants as a gauge of Chinese demand, indicate that refiners remain reluctant to import high-priced barrels following run cuts and as they draw on domestic inventories.Saudi crude shipments also remain somewhat constrained by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz…
Taiwan Says Sovereignty Cannot be Violated
Taiwan's maritime sovereignty cannot be "violated" by Chinese efforts to create a false impression of jurisdiction, the island's coast guard said after China ended a patrol off its eastern shores.China, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, was angered after Japan and the Philippines said last month they would begin formal talks on their maritime boundaries, viewing that as involving waters off Taiwan.Late on Saturday, Chinese state media reported that…
Chinese Aircraft Carrier Held Drills East of Philippines
The Chinese navy was spotted conducting aircraft carrier drills in the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines last week, Japan's defence ministry said in a bulletin on Monday.The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force confirmed that China's aircraft carrier Liaoning and accompanying vessels were cruising the waters east of the Philippines' Luzon Island between May 26 and May 28, said the bulletin, which included a map.Liaoning-based planes and helicopters conducted roughly 170 take-off and landing drills as the Chinese fleet sailed around the western Pacific Rim…
Chinese Ship Leaves Standoff Near Taiwan-Controlled Islands
A Chinese coast guard ship left waters near Taiwan's strategically located Pratas Islands at the top of the South China Sea on Sunday following a tense standoff and verbal sparring between the coast guards, Taiwan's Coast Guard said.China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, a position the government in Taipei rejects.China has pressured Taiwan by increasing its military presence around the island, and Taipei is on high alert for further Chinese actions after President Xi Jinping discussed Taiwan with U.S.
Third Qatari LNG Tanker Transits Hormuz to China
A Third Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker is transiting the Strait of Hormuz and heading to China, ship-tracking data showed on Friday, as a Qatari negotiating team arrived in Tehran to try to help secure a deal to end the war with Iran.As shipments through the waterway continue to be erratic, this third transit of a Qatari LNG tanker is taking place nearly two weeks after a first such cargo passed through the strait under an Iran-Pakistan arrangement.The vessel, Al Sahla, with a capacity of 211…
Chinese Container Ship Among Few Crossing Hormuz
A Chinese-operated container ship was among the few to cross the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, data showed on Thursday, as uncertainty grows around reopening the critical waterway with talks over a deal between the U.S. and Iran deadlocked.Before the war on Iran began on February 28, shipping traffic through the strait averaged 125 to 140 daily passages. Due to the conflict, 20,000 seafarers remain stranded inside the Gulf on board hundreds of ships.Shipping traffic has…
Four US LNG Carriers Depart for China After Trump-Xi Summit
Four liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels were sailing to China from the U.S. and expected to arrive in June, according to data from financial firm LSEG, marking the first U.S. LNG cargoes to leave the U.S. and go directly to China during U.S. President Donald Trump's second term in office.Last week, Trump went to Beijing for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During the trip, Trump told Fox News on May 14 that China wants to buy oil, LNG and other goods from the United States.In years past…
Oil Prices Rise Amid Fears of Ship Attacks and Seizures
Oil prices rose Friday as market concerns persisted over ship attacks and seizures despite Iran saying about 30 vessels had passed through the Strait of Hormuz, while the U.S. and Chinese presidents were set for a second day of talks in Beijing.Brent crude oil futures LCOc1 rose 60 cents, or 0.57%, to $106.32 a barrel by 0100 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures CLc1 were up 54 cents, or 0.53%, to $101.71.A ship was reported seized by Iranian personnel off the United Arab Emirates and headed for Iranian waters on Thursday, while the White House said U.S.
Ship Seized by Iran Off UAE, Trump Discusses Hormuz Shipping Lanes with Xi
A ship was reported seized by Iranian personnel off the United Arab Emirates and headed for Iranian waters on Thursday while the White House said U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed on the need to keep the nearby Strait of Hormuz shipping lane open.China is close to Iran and is the main buyer of its oil. Iran has largely shut the strait to ships apart from its own since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began on February 28, causing the biggest-ever disruption to global energy supplies.The U.S.
China Connected VLCC Exits Strait of Hormuz, Stops in Oman
A Chinese supertanker carrying two million barrels of Iraqi crude sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after being stranded in the Gulf for more than two months due to the U.S.-Iran war, LSEG and Kpler ship-tracking data showed.The VLCC Yuan Hua Hu is now anchored off the Gulf of Oman, near where the U.S. Navy has set up a blockade on Iranian vessels, LSEG data showed.The crossing comes as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are due to meet over the next two days…
China and US Agree on Opposing Hormuz Tolls, State Department Says
Senior U.S. and Chinese officials agree that no country can be allowed to exact shipping tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, the State Department told Reuters on Tuesday, in a sign that the two countries are trying to find common ground on efforts to pressure Iran to give up control of the vital waterway.The statement by the State Department comes ahead of a high-stakes summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week, where Iran's chokehold on the strait will be on the agenda.Iran's near-complete closure of the vital trade artery ‌since the joint Israeli-U.S.
Trump Urged by US Senators to Remain Steady During Chinese Shipbuilding Talks
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Monday urged President Donald Trump to hold fast to trade remedies proposed by his administration to rebuild U.S. shipbuilding and not offer concessions when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping.Democratic Senators Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Mark Kelly of Arizona, as well as Republicans Tim Scott of South Carolina and Todd Young of Indiana, told Trump in a letter sent on Monday that China's decades-long effort to "decimate American shipbuilding" demanded the use of U.S.
Oil Slides, Metals Jump as Hormuz Impacts China Imports
The Iran war is starting to shape China's imports of major commodities, with April data showing a sharp decline in crude oil but rising trade in metals.The headline-grabbing number from the figures released last week by customs was the slide in arrivals of crude oil, with the world's biggest importer taking in 9.37 million barrels per day (bpd), the lowest in almost four years.April's imports were down 20% from the same month in 2025 as seaborne imports from the Middle East declined sharply amid the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz since the U.S.
Trump Urged to Stand Strong on Shipbuilding in Talks with Xi
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Monday urged President Donald Trump to hold fast to trade remedies proposed by his administration to rebuild U.S. shipbuilding and not offer concessions when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping.Democratic Senators Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Mark Kelly of Arizona as well as Republicans Tim Scott of South Carolina and Todd Young of Indiana told Trump in a letter sent on Monday that China's decades-long effort to "decimate American shipbuilding" demanded the use of U.S.
Oil Tanker Hit Near Strait of Hormuz, US Pauses Assist Program for Stranded Vessels
A Chinese-owned oil products tanker was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, Chinese media outlet Caixin reported, as President Donald Trump launched a U.S. plan that day to help stranded vessels but suspended it a day later.This was the first time a Chinese oil tanker has been attacked, a person with knowledge of the matter told Caixin on Thursday.Traffic through the vital strait, through which 20% of the ‌world's oil and gas supplies pass, has been at a virtual standstill…
Philippines Accuses China of Illegal Marine Research Near Gas-Rich Reed Bank
The Philippine Coast Guard has accused China of conducting illegal marine scientific research near the oil and gas-rich Reed bank within Manila's exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, according to a statement on Thursday."We will continue to challenge any illegal activities that undermine our sovereignty and sovereign rights," PCG commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said.PCG aircraft spotted Chinese research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 33 near Iroquois Reef during a maritime patrol on May 6.The PCG said the Chinese vessel was seen deploying a service boat toward the reef, confirming the o
Electric Container Ship Delivered in China
China Classification Society (CCS) has classified the Ningyuan Diankun, the world’s largest and China’s first built pure electric high-end intelligent seagoing vessel.Owned by Ningbo Ocean Shipping and built by Jiangxi Shipbuilding, the 740 TEU open-top container ship is 127.8 meters in length, featuring a twin-engine and twin-propeller system with a maximum speed of 11.5 knots.Equipped with 10 containerized batteries as its core power source, it supports both high-voltage shore power charging and rapid battery swapping.
China Conducts Live-Fire Drills Near Luzon Island as US, Philippines Hold Annual Military Exercises
China conducted military drills recently including live-fire exercises in waters east of the Philippines' Luzon Island, it said on Friday, as Manila and Washington host annual drills that extend towards disputed areas of the South China Sea.Over 17,000 troops from the U.S., the Philippines and allies began their annual Balikatan military exercises this week, with combat troops from Japan joining for the first time amid persistent strains between Tokyo and Beijing.The Chinese military's…
Lockheed Martin Wins Contract to Arm US Navy with Patriot Missile
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract to integrate the Patriot missile, an Army missile interceptor, into the U.S. Navy's Aegis combat system, a milestone the company said on Tuesday marks the first time the weapon will be fielded at sea.Reuters was first to report in October 2024 that the Navy was moving forward with plans to arm its vessels with Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) interceptors, driven by fears that China would deploy hypersonic…