IMOA
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A Scarborough ‘shoaldown’: An opportunity to push back against Beijing
Over the last few weeks any lingering doubts have surely been erased when it comes to China’s so-called ‘intentions’ in the South China Sea. There is clearly only one goal, a single strategic objective: to dominate this important body of water and ensure Beijing holds de-facto sovereignty from the waves that move from Malaysia all the way to the shores…
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U.S. says China’s intentions in South China Sea raise tension and questions
REUTERS/U.S. NAVY/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS A top U.S. official on Thursday said China’s land reclamation and militarization in the disputed South China Sea was raising tensions and serious questions about its intention. On a visit to Vietnam, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington would continue to play a constructive role in supporting its regional allies but was not…
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China’s island-building in the South China Sea is ruffling feathers worldwide
The Japanese destroyers Ariake and Setogiri make a port call at Vietnam’s Cam Ranh Bay on April 12. TOKYO A maritime security net is closing in on China in the South China Sea, where Beijing is building artificial islands on reefs to erect military facilities in disputed waters. The U.S. plans to start joint patrols in the waters with Japan,…
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DND: China’s landing of aircraft on Fiery Cross was provocative
Photo provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines shows construction on Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) Reef in the Spratly Islands. STAR/Armed Forces of the Philippines, file MANILA, Philippines — China’s efforts to land a military plane to a Manila-claimed reef in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea was provocative, the Department of National Defense (DND) said on Thursday.…
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Philippines Relying on Global Support in S. China Sea Dispute
FILE – Filipino student activists set fire mock Chinese ships to protest recent island-building and alleged militarization by China off the disputed Spratlys group of islands in the South China Sea, in Manila, March 3, 2016. FILE – Filipino student activists set fire mock Chinese ships to protest recent island-building and alleged militarization by China off the disputed Spratlys group…
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Tensions in South China Sea Set to Rise Further
Ambient tension in the South China Sea is high as Beijing continues to assertively push its claim for sovereignty over 3 million square kilometres, or 90 per cent of the South China Sea. Tension is set to rise further around April-end and early May when the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea delivers its judgment on the case…
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War in the South China Sea: Not Worth It
The latest in tensions between the United States and China is the landing of a Chinese military aircraft on Fiery Cross Reef, one of several man-made islands built by China in the Spratly Island chain in the South China Sea. The Chinese claim the landing was for a humanitarian operation to evacuate three ill workers, but the Pentagon is troubled…
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US to sail submarine drones in South China Sea
As it watches China build up its presence in the South China Sea, one reclaimed island at a time, the US military is betting on a new technology to help retain its edge — submarine drones. During the past six months, the Pentagon has started to talk publicly about a once-secret program to develop unmanned undersea vehicles, the term given…
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China rejects US query on military flight to disputed South China Sea island
BEIJING – China’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday rejected queries by the US military as to why China had used a military aircraft to evacuate sick workers from a new airport on an island China has built in the disputed South China Sea. CNN quoted Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis as saying it was unclear why China had used a military…
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South China Sea arbitration ruling must be binding: Britain
A ruling expected in the next few months in an international arbitration case the Philippines has brought against Beijing’s South China Sea claims must be binding, Britain said on Monday. British Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire also said that he sees the ruling from the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague as an opportunity for China and the Philippines…