Philippines and China Argue About the Sea

May 3, 2026, 21:46
AsiaInternational

Introduction

The Philippines and China are angry. Both countries say the other broke the law in the ocean.

Main Body

The Philippines found four Chinese ships in their water. These ships did research without permission. One ship used many small drones to study the sea. The Philippines sent planes and ships to stop them. At the same time, five people from the Philippines went to a small piece of land called Sandy Cay. China says this land belongs to them. China says the people landed there illegally. China and the Philippines both want the same parts of the sea. They do not agree on who owns the water and the land.

Conclusion

Both countries are watching each other closely. They are still fighting about the land.

Learning

🧩 The 'Who owns what' Pattern

In this story, we see words used for possession (who has it). For a beginner, the easiest way to show this is by using 'their' and 'them'.

1. THE KEY WORDS

  • Their β†’\rightarrow belongs to them (e.g., their water)
  • Them β†’\rightarrow the people or things we are talking about (e.g., stop them)

2. HOW IT WORKS IN THE TEXT

  • "Philippines found ships in their water" β†’\rightarrow The water belongs to the Philippines.
  • "China says this land belongs to them" β†’\rightarrow The land belongs to China.

3. SIMPLE USE If you want to say something belongs to a group, use their + object:

  • Their house βœ“\checkmark
  • Their car βœ“\checkmark
  • Their sea βœ“\checkmark

Vocabulary Learning

angry (adj.)
feeling strong annoyance or displeasure
Example:The teacher was angry when the student was late.
countries (n.)
different nations or states
Example:Many countries joined the climate conference.
law (n.)
a rule that people must follow
Example:She broke the law by speeding.
ocean (n.)
a large body of salt water
Example:The ocean is very deep in the Pacific.
ships (n.)
large boats that travel on water
Example:The ships carried goods across the sea.
research (n.)
the study of information to learn something new
Example:He did research on how plants grow.
permission (n.)
official approval to do something
Example:You need permission to enter the building.
drones (n.)
small flying machines controlled from far away
Example:The drones recorded the beach from above.
study (v.)
to learn about something by reading or practicing
Example:She will study for her exam tonight.
planes (n.)
aircraft that fly in the sky
Example:The planes took off from the airport.
stop (v.)
to bring an action to an end
Example:Please stop talking during the movie.
land (n.)
the solid part of the earth, not water
Example:The island is a piece of land surrounded by sea.
belongs (v.)
to be owned or connected to someone or something
Example:That book belongs to my sister.
illegally (adv.)
in a way that is against the law
Example:He entered the country illegally and was fined.
watch (v.)
to look at something carefully
Example:She will watch the movie with her friends.