November 2017
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South China Sea: Filipino fishermen hope for Chinese benevolence
As Filipino fishermen set sail for the Scarborough Shoal, they hope for three things: a bountiful fish catch, their safety, and benevolence from the Chinese coastguard. For the past two years, Paolo Pumicpic, captain of the JJ2 fishing boat, has been at the mercy of the sea; he hasn’t been lucky with any of […]
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Experts call for ‘strategic trust’ in East Sea
HCM CITY — While the East Sea (South China Sea) situation remains uncertain, nations should build “strategic trust” to maintain peace, stability and development in the region, a Vietnamese official told an international conference held in HCM City yesterday. Nearly 200 senior officials, business executives, experts, academics and diplomats are participating in the […]
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Opinion: China Has Tempered Its Expansion In The Disputed South China Sea
The government in Beijing has made no official statement to this effect, but connect the dots and here’s a picture: It has mothballed for now a quest to landfill new islands in Asia’s major disputed waterway, the South China Sea. Land reclamation had alarmed five other Asian governments that vie with China for sovereignty […]
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Trump administration backs Australia white paper
The Trump administration has endorsed the Turnbull government’s foreign policy white paper which tilted more hawkish on China, with a senior US diplomat saying the document outlines “issues of concern” that are shared by the US and Australia. In contrast to China’s response that Australia should stop making “irresponsible” comments about territorial disputes […]
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A Defiant Map-Hunter Stakes Vietnam’s Claims in the South China Sea
Tran Duc Anh Son, a historian in Danang, Vietnam, says his government is afraid to use the records he uncovered to challenge Beijing. “That’s why we have many documents that are kept in the dark.” Credit Quinn Ryan Mattingly for The New York Times DANANG, Vietnam — Eight years ago, officials in Danang asked […]
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Chinese air force patrols over South China Sea ‘show PLA’s capacity to breach cold war line of containment’
A team of Chinese air force bombers has carried out a series of patrols over the disputed South China Sea, in an exercise the People’s Liberation Army said showed its capability to breach the cold war era line of containment. By registering you agree to our T&Cs & Privacy Policy The air force […]
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A South China Sea Code of Conduct: Is Real Progress Possible?
A closer look at steps toward finalizing a long-anticipated Code of Conduct. At the recently concluded 31st ASEAN Summit Meetings in Manila, the leaders of ASEAN and China formally announced the start of negotiations on the fine print of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. The agreement comes just three […]
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Commentary: Ambitious Asia trip for a US president leaves region longing for more
US President Donald Trump’s highly anticipated Asia trip had a packed agenda and was closely watched by many in the region. Yale-NUS College’s Chin-Hao Huang discusses whether it has lived up to expectations and what it bodes for the future. SINGAPORE: With five countries in 12 days, US President Donald Trump’s Asia […]
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Trump Is Causing Conflict by Playing Peacemaker
The United States is creating problems in Asia by offering to mediate Vietnam’s tensions with China. Just what did Donald Trump mean when he offered to “mediate” in the dispute between Vietnam and China over the South China Sea? On Sunday, during his official visit to Hanoi, U.S. President Trump told his Vietnamese […]
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Will the Quad Mean the End of ASEAN Centrality?
The unexpected revival of the Quad may mean the demise of Asian multilateralism and a more threatened China. A working-level meeting between diplomatic staffers from the United States, India, Japan, and Australia on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and East Asia Summits (EAS) has caused quite a lively reaction […]