IMOA
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Dueling ‘Notes Verbales’
On Dec. 12, 2019, Malaysia filed a Note Verbale with the United Nations Secretary General asserting its extended continental shelf (ECS) claim from its coastline in North Borneo facing the South China Sea. The ECS refers to the area beyond the 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone of a coastal state. It is the second ECS claim filed by Malaysia in the…
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Shots Fired Along India-China Border for First Time in Years
NEW DELHI — Tensions along the India-China border took an alarming turn on Tuesday after Chinese and Indian officials accused each other’s soldiers of firing warning shots, apparently the first time in decades that guns had been aggressively used along the disputed frontier. Military activities along the unofficial border, which zigs and zags through some of the highest mountain ranges…
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[ANALYSIS] The Sangley International Airport project and sea control
Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla’s Sangley International Airport project and its foreign developer – the China Communications Construction Co., Ltd. – were recently put in a spotlight after the US Commerce Department blacklisted the company, along with 23 other Chinese companies involved in the construction of the artificial islands in the South China Sea. At the outset, the Philippine Navy has…
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Taiwan calls for an alliance against ‘aggressive actions’ in South China Sea
TAIPEI: Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen called on Tuesday for an alliance of democracies to defend against “aggressive actions” and protect freedom, alluding to Chinese actions in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait as major threats to regional stability. China, which claims democratic Taiwan as its own, has ramped up its military activities around the island, as well as in…
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China continues to improve artificial islands in South China Sea — Lorenzana
MANILA, Philippines — Aside from maintaining presence in the South China Sea, Beijing continues to develop its artificial islands in the area, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Tuesday. Lorenzana confirmed that Chinese troops are always present on China’s “big three” islands — Fiery Cross, Mischief and Subi Reefs — in the disputed South China Sea. Asked if the Chinese continue…
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South China Sea: China’s defence minister heads to Brunei, Philippines after visits to Malaysia and Indonesia
China’s defence minister Wei Fenghe on Tuesday met hisIndonesiancounterpart Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta, a day after visitingMalaysia’s leader in Kuala Lumpur, as Beijing seeks to balance US influence in the Asia-Pacific amid rising tensions in theSouth China Sea meetings running from Wednesday through Saturday, with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expected to attend.Wei is set to visit Brunei next,…
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ASEAN to issue statement on South China Sea
Foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations will have a meeting via a video link on Wednesday. They are expected to issue a statement aimed at addressing escalating tensions in the South China Sea. Their key topics will include the disputed sea, which is claimed by countries including China and some ASEAN members. The United States has…
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China’s Strongest Ally In The Asia Pacific Stalls Defence Deal, Cancels Massive Infra Project
China’s strongest ally in the South China Sea – Thailand, is quietly but firmly pushing back against Beijing. It has decided to not only postpone the procurement of two submarines from China but has also shelved the Chinese proposal for building a canal in the Bay of Bengal replacing it with its own project. ‘Stop Me If You Can’; After…
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Would Biden get ‘tough’ on China?
WASHINGTON — As a senator and vice president, Joe Biden — like politicians from both parties and presidents dating to Ronald Reagan — embraced the idea that the United States could coax China into acting as a “responsible stakeholder.” As the Democratic presidential nominee, Biden now calls Chinese President Xi Jinping a “thug.” Until recently, the consensus in Washington held…
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China’s military power has outstripped the US, Pentagon reveals
A new Pentagon assessment of Chinese military power states it has outstripped the US in numbers of warships, land-based missiles and air defence systems. The news comes as a blow to US national pride. “Frankly, America slept while China grew,” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said yesterday. The annual Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China…