The Taiwanese and Chinese Coast Guards were engaged in another tense standoff near the strategically located Pratas Islands at the top ​of the South China Sea on Friday, Taiwan said, the second ‌time in a fortnight that this has happened.

A Russian Shahed kamikaze drone struck a Chinese cargo vessel in the Black Sea, according to Ukrainian Navy officials, in an incident that highlights continued attacks on maritime traffic in the region.

The Iranian government has issued a formal clarification regarding the transit of Chinese vessels through the Strait of Hormuz after a high-profile incident involving a Chinese-flagged cargo ship.

China’s first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, PLAN Sichuan, departed from Shanghai on Friday morning to begin its inaugural navigation test mission.