News
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Exclusive: China presses Europe for anti-U.S. alliance on trade
BRUSSELS/BERLIN (Reuters) – China is putting pressure on the European Union to issue a strong joint statement against President Donald Trump’s trade policies at a summit later this month but is facing resistance, European officials said. In meetings in Brussels, Berlin and Beijing, senior Chinese officials, including Vice Premier Liu He and the Chinese government’s top diplomat, State Councillor Wang…
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Malaysia reiterates neutral stand on South China Sea
SUNGAI DUA: Malaysia’s stand in maintaining South China Sea’s status as a free and safe zone for all the countries in the region will be personally made known to China. Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is expected to visit China soon. He said he had personally conveyed Malaysia’s stand to US Secretary of Defence…
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Facebook removes Paracel, Spratly Islands from China’s map at Vietnam’s request
Social network giant Facebook has complied with a request by the Vietnamese government regarding a wrongful depiction of its sovereignty. As of Monday afternoon, a map used for Facebook’s advertising tool was found to have completely removed Paracel (Hoang Sa) and Spratly (Truong Sa) Islands in the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea. Previously, the map wrongfully…
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Recent developments surrounding the South China Sea
XI ASSERTS TERRITORIAL CLAIMS IN MEETING WITH US DEFENSE SECRETARY Chinese President Xi Jinping strongly asserted China’s determination to defend territory it claims, including in the South China Sea, in a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. While the tone of Mattis’ visit to Beijing was largely upbeat, Xi made sure to reinforce his reputation as a fervent nationalist…
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The World Is Waking Up to Beijing’s South China Sea Ambitions
In recent weeks, there have been several commentaries reporting a temporary new norm in the South China Sea (SCS) – realpolitik’s triumph over moralpolitik and the rapid decline of regional U.S. soft power. But current developments suggest otherwise. Years of ill-advised U.S. acquiescence and accommodation (strategic patience and wishful thinking) in the SCS appear to be over for now. There…
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Xi asserts South China Sea claims in meeting with US defense secretary
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a weekly look at the latest developments in the South China Sea, the location of several territorial conflicts that have raised tensions in the region. 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…
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China’s massive ‘Belt and Road’ spending spree has caused concern around the world, and now it’s China’s turn to worry
China’s sprawling Belt and Road Initiative has spread development funding around Asia, Africa, and Europe. But foreign governments have warned the terms of BRI deals could pose risks to the countries signing them. Now officials in Beijing appear to be acting on their own concerns about unsustainable spending and unwieldy debt. Since announcing its Belt and Road Initiative five years…
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Mattis Hits South China Sea Military Buildup in Talks with Xi
Despite differences, defense secretary urges U.S.-China military exchanges to stabilize ties BEIJING—Defense Secretary Jim Mattis pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping on China’s buildup of military bases on disputed islands in the South China Sea as Xi defiantly stated Beijing would not give up the newly reclaimed islands. Randall Shriver, assistant defense secretary for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs and who…
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China Will Lose The South China Sea Game
China wants to control the entire South China Sea. Every inch of it. That’s why will lose all of it, one day. In the South China Sea game, China is one player playing against all the rest: The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. China is also playing against the navies of US, Japan, France, the UK, and Australia. These…
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Fishing, not oil, is at the heart of the South China Sea dispute
Contrary to the view that the South China Sea disputes are driven by a regional hunger for seabed energy resources, the real and immediate prizes at stake are the region’s fisheries and marine environments that support them. It is also through the fisheries dimensions to the conflict that the repercussions of the recent ruling of the arbitration tribunal in the…
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China’s new laser-powered rifle can literally set you on fire But don’t worry, it’s “non-lethal.”
In China, if you upset the government, you could be burned. Literally. Researchers in the country have reportedly developed a prototype laser assault rifle of similar dimensions to an AK-47, dubbed the ZKZM-500, according to South China Morning Post. The difference is that ZKZM-500 can reportedly set a person on fire — by using lasers. From 800 metres (about half…
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Japan alarmed by change in status of China Coast Guard
Beijing’s recent decision to transfer administrative control of its coast guard from civilian to military authority from July is causing headaches for Japan. Given China’s tradition of using the coast guard to patrol areas to which it lays territorial claims, the move is being viewed as worrying and possibly significant. A sweeping government overhaul announced by Beijing last week means…