Beijing claims most of the South China Sea as its territory, including areas within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

Ma Ying-jeou of the opposition KMT held a second meeting with Xi Jinping – his first as a private citizen – during an 11-day trip to China.

China has established a new information warfare department under the direct command of its top military body as it begins its largest restructuring of the armed forces in more than eight years. The shift of information warfare to the direct command of the Central Military Commission — the top Communist party and state organ that controls the People’s Liberation Army — would hand Chinese leader Xi Jinping even more direct control over the military,