Southeast Asia's flashpoint
Vietnam's need for more energy is reviving the disputes with Beijing over the South China Sea
Oil and gas-hungry Vietnam is tweaking the lion's tail in a long-disputed part of the South China Sea that could bring to a head a simmering row with China. Hardly a month after China oversaw the development—or rather revival—of a "negotiating framework" with Vietnam and other claimant nations intended to establish a code of conduct for arguments in these waters, Vietnam began exploration in the Spratly Islands over which China has unilaterally asserted its rights. Almost immediately, China cancelled a defence meeting with Vietnam. In the process put in jeopardy the code of conduct that Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi had hailed as a solid foundation that would ensure a generally stable sit
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
