News
-
South China Sea territorial clashes threaten environmental catastrophe
Artificial Islands, China, Ecology, Environment, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, VietnamChina’s mounting clashes with its neighbors over control of the South China Sea also could be fueling a major environmental catastrophe, endangering fishing stocks, threatening marine biodiversity and posing long-term threats to some of the globe’s most spectacular coral reefs. Environmental scientists say the dangers are increasing as the conflicting sovereignty claims heat up between China and eight East Asian…
-
The Challenge to China’s South China Sea Approach
Since at least August last year, China has been officially advocating what officials have called a “dual track approach” with respect to the South China Sea issue. Beijing continues to use this approach in discussions today. Indeed, an entire session at the recent Boao Forum for Asia was devoted to the topic: “South China Sea: Dual Track Approach and Win-Win…
-
US ready to respond to threats in Asia-Pacific region
WASHINGTON – The US Pacific Fleet is prepared to respond to threats against the security and stability of the Asia-Pacific region in the face of China’s undisputed land reclamation in the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea, its commander said. “My intent is not to plan for war against any particular nation, but rather to lessen the chances of…
-
US to Stop China on Sea Reclamation at Spratly
WASHINGTON – Leading senators expressed alarm on Thursday at the scale and speed of South China Sea and said a formal U.S. strategy was needed to slow or stop the work. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Republican Senators John McCain and Bob Corker and Democrats Jack Reed and Bob Menendez said that without a comprehensive strategy “long-standing interests of the United States,…
-
US Admiral sounds the alarm at China’s intentions in South China Sea
Artificial Islands, ASEAN, China, Great Wall of Sand, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, USAA powerful American naval officer has fired a warning at China for rapidly building “a Great Wall” of artificial islands across hotly-contested waters. Admiral Harry Harris, soon to take charge of Pacific Command, told a dinner at the Australian War Memorial on Tuesday night that the string of new islands posed a serious threat to stability in the South China Sea.…
-
Meet the Chinese Maritime Militia Waging a ‘People’s War at Sea’
Artificial Islands, China, Fishing Rights, Japan, Militias, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea DisputeWhen the Philippines announced last week that it was restarting construction in disputed areas of the South China Sea in response to China’s own construction binge, it entered a contest it has virtually no hope of winning. Satellite images released in February reveal that China has undertaken an unprecedented series of construction and land reclamation projects designed to help it control…
-
Philippines making waves over China’s moves in disputed waters
Arbitration, China, Diplomatic Relations, Economics, EDCA, Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, Oil, Philippines, Poaching, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysChina’s moves to explore for oil and undertake land reclamation projects on contested islets in the South China Sea have upset a number of its neighbors, including Vietnam. But none has taken a tougher stance against Beijing’s moves than the Philippines. The archipelago has shaped up as the loudest voice in Southeast Asia against China’s show of strength in the…
-
China’s Unsolved Territorial Disputes: Implications For Its Relations With Neighbors – Analysis
Bhutan, China, Diaoyu, East China Sea, History, India, Land Disputes, Senaku, South China Sea Dispute, TibetChina’s unresolved land and maritime border disputes with its neighbors continue to be a negative factor in bilateral relations among them; undeniably they also complicate the regional situation. What are the root causes of China’s territorial positions? Why certain disputes remain unsettled? Can such situation lead to future conflicts? Has China begun to work towards implementing an economic interests based…
-
China’s ‘Great Wall of Sand’ Raises U.S. Concerns
CANBERRA, Australia—Unprecedented land reclamation by China in contested islands of the South China Sea is raising serious questions over whether Beijing intends confrontation or cooperation with other regional powers, America’s top Pacific Commander Said. Read more: http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-to-move-stealth-destroyers-to-pacific-region-1427784315
-
China’s Air Force Conducts First Training Exercise in West Pacific
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force has conducted its first training exercise above the western Pacific Ocean on Monday, the country’s Defence Ministry said, in a move that could heighten tensions with neighboring countries in the South China Sea. PLA Air Force spokesman Shen Jinke told Reuters on Monday that PLA aircraft flew to the West Pacific for drills…
-
China wants to control South China Sea: Philippines
China, Fishing Rights, Intentional Rammings, Philippines, Scarborough Shoal, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysMANILA – The Philippines accused China on Thursday of seeking to take control of nearly the entire South China Sea with an expansionist agenda dominated by “massive reclamation” works. Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said China’s efforts were aimed at undermining a United Nations tribunal that is due to rule early next year on a Philippine challenge to its…