News
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Beijing seeks to block outsiders from drilling in South China Sea
ASEAN resists call for ban seen as attempt to curb America’s reach A drilling rig in the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam. The body of water’s unclear maritime boundaries have made it a focus of territorial disputes. © Reuters SINGAPORE/BEIJING — China wants to prohibit oil exploration in the South China Sea […]
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US Calls on China to Remove Missiles From South China Sea Artificial Islands
At the second U.S.-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue, the U.S. called on China to withdraw its missiles from the South China Sea. In a statement released at the conclusion of the recently held second annual U.S.-China Diplomatic and Security Dialogue, the United States called on China to remove deployed missiles from its artificial islands in […]
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Recent developments surrounding the South China Sea
BEIJING — A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves: EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a weekly look at the latest developments […]
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South China Sea: Canada sends warship to join international forces shadowing Beijing’s navy
“The expectation is to see one, if not two ships, on a year-round basis doing a variety of things with a variety of partners in the region,” Commander Blair Saltel, the captain of Calgary, said in Yokosuka, Japan. US, China set for high-level talks to avert South China Sea clashes His ship, docked at the […]
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The Latest: China scolds US over presence in South China Sea
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on U.S.-China talks involving top diplomats and defense chiefs (all times local): China is telling the U.S. to stop sending American ships and military aircraft close to islands that Beijing claims in the South China Sea. Top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi (YAHNG jee-uh-CHERR) is making his government’s position clear after […]
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China warns US to avoid islands it claims in South China Sea
WASHINGTON — China bluntly told the United States to stop sending ships and military aircraft close to islands claimed by Beijing in the South China Sea, during talks Friday that set the stage for a meeting between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping later this month. The U.S. pushed back, insisting it will continue […]
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Mahathir Positions Malaysia as a Check on China’s Ambitions in Southeast Asia
The shock election of 93-year-old Mahathir Mohamad for a second stint as Malaysia’s prime minister last May generated a sense of unease in the corridors of power in Beijing. In tough rhetoric on the campaign trail, Mahathir had accused his predecessor, Najib Razak, of ceding Malaysia’s sovereignty to China by accepting billions of dollars in […]
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U.S. FONOPS Aren’t Just About the South China Sea
The recent close encounter between USS Decatur and the Chinese Luyang II–class guided-missile destroyer Lanzhou has attracted much attention in the media. There’s little doubt that the Chinese ship created a dangerous situation in breach of the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, which requires a vessel that is overtaking another […]
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How the US-China Trade War Could Impact the South China Sea
Trade and oceans have always been integral parts in the struggle for global supremacy. In 1829, English adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh wrote: “For whosoever commands the sea commands the trade; whosoever commands the trade of the world commands the riches of the world, and consequently the world itself.” It was the case for Great Britain […]
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‘A Game of Chicken’: U.S. and China Are Risking a Clash at Sea
HONOLULU — From a distance, the Chinese warship warned the American destroyer that it was on a “dangerous course” in the South China Sea. Then it raced up alongside, getting perilously close. For a few tense minutes, a collision seemed imminent. The American vessel, the Decatur, blasted its whistle. The Chinese took no notice. Instead, […]
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China: Philippines can’t claim Benham Rise
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines cannot claim Benham Rise as its own territory despite it being part of the country’s 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, Beijing said. In 2012, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf approved the submission of the Philippines in 2009 with respect to the limits of its […]
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China’s South China Sea End Game: Implications and Next Steps
China’s ongoing actions in the South China Sea belie its promises of the last five years. Its Foreign Ministry announced in 2013 that its suppression of non-Chinese fishermen was to protect the region’s sensitive marine environment. Since then, it has ripped up 2.4 million hectares of endangered coral reefs to enlarge atolls and islets into […]