News
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WW3 WARNING: Japan submarine in South China Sea drill – Beijing and Tokyo tensions peak
JAPAN has deployed a warfare submarine for a military exercise in the South China Sea, as tensions escalate between Beijing and Tokyo over China’s growing territorial base in the disputed region. For the first time, Japan’s defence ministry publicly declared engaging in a strategic military drill within a South China Sea. Tokyo revealed the submarine, […]
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With a Submarine, Japan Sends a Message in the South China Sea
TOKYO — A Japanese submarine participated in war games in the South China Sea last week and is now visiting Vietnam, signaling a more assertive pushback by Japan against China’s territorial claims in the region. Japan took the unusual step on Monday of announcing that it had carried out the drills, which also involved two […]
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China and Philippines negotiate over South China Sea
China and the Philippines are negotiating a deal to jointly exploit oil and gas in the disputed waters of the South China Sea – despite an arbitration award which rejected China’s claims to historic rights over the vast majority of the maritime territory. https://globalarbitrationreview.com/article/1174055/china-and-philippines-negotiate-over-south-china-sea
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Is the militarisation of the South China Sea doing us a favour?
We do not know exactly how many billions because China is not a transparent liberal democracy with independent budget accountability, but any number of Google Earth photographs reveal extensive work. It stands to reason, that China is not going to let this go to waste. And as China goes about its business of spreading its […]
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South China Sea: Ample opportunity for Asean-China connectivity
China-Asean and China-US relations in the South China Sea have trended in opposite directions since July 12, 2016. On that day the Philippines and Asean set aside the near-term implementation of the South China Sea arbitration award supporting the case against China’s maritime infringements and opened a new chapter in relations with China. China-Asean ties […]
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Risk of South China Sea Strife if Beijing Attempts Defense Zone
An air defense zone declared by Beijing, or any effort to stop civilian ship traffic, would raise the risk of conflict in the disputed South China Sea after years of calm, because either move would inconvenience day-to-day operations, scholars who follow the region say. Five other militarily weaker maritime claimants have watched without major protest […]
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The US is sending an unmistakable message to China — four B-52 bomber flights through the East and South China Seas this month
US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress heavy long-range bombers, powerful weapons of war, have made multiple flights through the East and South China Seas this month. These flights are part of US Indo-Pacific Command’s Continuous Bomber Presence mission, which aims to strengthen America’s deterrence in the face of emerging threats. News of these flights comes on […]
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Are the French and British navies here to stay in the South China Sea?
The British Royal Navy’s HMS Albion, a 22,000-ton amphibious transport dock, conducted a freedom of navigation patrol (FON) in waters near the Paracel islands (Xisha Qundao in Chinese) in the South China Sea in late August. The HMS Albion’s patrol was a traditional assertion of freedom of navigation on the high seas unlike the freedom […]
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South China Sea: Biggest reason for US to want to kill Duterte
LAST month, President Duterte said outright: America’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) planned to assassinate him. He didn’t give any reason why the CIA would want to do so, but not a few analysts think it is because of his getting close to Russia, the US’ arch-enemy even after the Cold War ended in the 1990s. […]
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What a navy ship stranded on a South China Sea shoal reveals about China-Philippine relations
Nong Hong says the quick extraction of the Philippine navy ship from Half Moon Shoal indicates that, even though China-Philippines relations may face troubled political waters, economic considerations could provide an anchor. The Philippine navy frigate, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, ran aground on Half Moon Shoal in waters off the disputed Spratly Islands on […]
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Risk of South China Sea Strife if Beijing Attempts Defense Zone
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — An air defense zone declared by Beijing, or any effort to stop civilian ship traffic, would raise the risk of conflict in the disputed South China Sea after years of calm, because either move would inconvenience day-to-day operations, scholars who follow the region say. Five other militarily weaker maritime claimants have watched […]
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Malaysia’s Mahathir calls on China to respect passage in South China Sea
MANILA, Philippines — Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad stressed his position on the South China Sea dispute amid Beijing’s expanding militarization of artificial islands in the region. In an interview with The Associated Press, the 93-year-old Malaysian leader called on China to respect the free movement of ships throughout the South China Sea. Malaysia to […]