Summary

The Philippines has arrested five more Chinese nationals for alleged espionage, following a similar case earlier this month.

Two were detained at Manila airport for surveilling military sites near the contested Spratly Islands using drones and high-resolution cameras. Three others were arrested elsewhere.

Authorities suspect they were linked to a Chinese software engineer previously accused of spying, though it’s unclear if the operations were state-sponsored.

The arrests come amid rising tensions with China over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.