China is attempting to create a buffer zone in the South China Sea, militarizing artificial islands to keep away the US and its allies from patrolling the strategic waterway where about $3 trillion worth of annual trade passes.
Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) temporarily restricted a network of Chinese-linked accounts involved in coordinated attacks against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. after his signing of landmark laws asserting Manila’s rights over the West Philippine Sea.
A Facebook user falsely claimed that a US Navy aircraft had returned home because the dispute between the Philippines and China was over.
A Facebook user posted a video of a speed boat with people onboard and a Chinese flag, and falsely claimed that the Chinese military has finally left the West Philippine Sea.
A YouTube channel made the false claim that the Philippines was bombed by China due to tensions in the West Philippine Sea.