At stake is the peace and stability of the island, 160 kilometres off the coast of China, that Beijing claims as its own and to be retaken by force if necessary.
The incidents near Second Thomas Shoal, where China has repeatedly tried to isolate a Philippine marine outpost, could have been worse if the vessels were not able to manoeuvre rapidly away from the Chinese ships.
It's known as the "Hawaii of China," a tropical island paradise where the Chinese middle class enjoys sandy beaches, five-star resorts, and duty-free luxury shopping.
A Chinese fighter jet intercepted a US reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea last week and performed an "unsafe manoeuvre," forcing the US aircraft to take evasive action.
A prolonged war in the South China Sea would threaten 90 per cent of Australia's fuel imports and supplies would run out after two months, a study released today warns.
China's ambassador to Australia said the US was to blame for rising tensions around the self-governing island, branding it attack on China's national sovereignty.
China's ambassador to Australia delivered a harsh message about the "One-China" policy today as he laid blame for spiraling Taiwan Strait tensions at US feet.
A US Navy warship on Saturday challenged Chinese claims to disputed islands in the South China Sea, the US 7th Fleet said in a statement - the second operation of its kind this week.
A total of 29 Chinese warplanes entered Taiwan's self-declared air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday, according to the island's Defence Ministry.
Cambodia on Tuesday again denied it would allow any Chinese military presence at the Ream Naval Base where it and China are beginning an expansion this week.
The "dangerous" interception of an Australian military reconnaissance aircraft by a Chinese warplane last month is a stark lesson for the new Labor government.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported a recent incident of "close distance maneuvering" by a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel in the disputed South China Sea that "constrained" the movement of a Philippine ship sailing nearby.
Angry Australian Department of Defence officials have sent please explain notes to counterparts in Beijing after the Chinese navy used a military-grade laser to attack a Royal Australian Air Force plane.
Images have emerged of a US Navy F-35C stealth fighter crashing into the South China Sea earlier this week.
It crash-landed on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson during routine operations on Monday, the Navy said
They don't appear on most world maps, but China's "artificial islands" are an important sector of the globe that world powers are anxiously keeping watch over.