News
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The South China Seas ruling has hidden benefits for Beijing
Three months after the ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the South China Sea, the defiant words and actions of Beijing continue to perpetuate the widespread belief that the decision was a complete defeat for China. It may be true that the tribunal severely undercut China’s claim to sovereignty over nearly all of that water body, but China…
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The South China Sea Showdown: What Should America (and the Region) Do About It?
The organizers of this gathering requested a “provocative” presentation. They knew not what they were asking! I will do my best to oblige. Regional politics underwent a phase change last July, when jurists in The Hague struck down China’s claim to “indisputable sovereignty” over some 80-90 percent of a major waterway. The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling constituted a diplomatic…
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Duterte latest: Philippines risks China aggression if US forces leave
Outspoken Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to eject American troops from his country, but that could leave the Philippines powerless against potential Chinese encroachment. The U.S. and Philippines were enemies during the Philippine-American War of 1899-1902, with Washington only granting Manila full independence in 1946. But since a 1951 treaty that enables each country to aid one another during…
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Duterte policy to erode US influence in South China Sea – study
MANILA — The Duterte administration’s “independent” foreign policy should not be belittled or underestimated, as it could “substantially” undermine the influence of the United States, a long-time ally and global superpower, in the region, the research arm of debt watcher Fitch Ratings said. “Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s apparent foreign policy shift away from the US towards China could substantially undermine…
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Choke Points are Flash Points
The world is closely watching several contentious flash points that have potential to ignite. The behavior and rhetoric of China and Russia regarding vital shipping lanes in international waters have been alarming. Disputed sovereignty claims and efforts to enforce them have the maritime world on edge. China’s nine-dash line claims about owning the entire East and South China Sea have…
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Gov’t draws criticism for supporting China’s sea claim
The Government of Antigua & Barbuda has come under fire for its policy of support for the claims made by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the disputed South China Sea and has been accused of a “foreign policy of hypocrisy”. The criticisms come from two academics, one a student, and the other a senior lecturer, who both agree…
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South China Sea: Taiwan Between a Rock and a Hard Place
In September last year, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), then the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate, told a diplomatic reception: “A future DPP administration will be committed to following…the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and respecting freedom of navigation. We are ready to engage in dialogue with different parties with the purpose of finding…
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Asean unity can challenge Beijing on its South China Sea claims: Expert
NEW DELHI: Asean Unity can challenge Beijing on its claims over the South China Sea, noted an expert on the subject. “If anybody can challenge China, it is the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations),” said Baladas Ghoshal, ex JNU professor and Secretary General of the Society for Indian Ocean Studies (SIOS), which organised the seminar on “South China Sea…
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South China Sea has become flashpoint between American status quo and Chinese naval ambitions
The South China Sea has become the flashpoint between the ambitions of rising superpower China and a decades-long regional status quo upheld by the United States. The Spratly Islands, a small group of reefs and shoals off the eastern coast of the Philippine island of Palawan, has become the focal point of that struggle. Tensions have continued to rise over…
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‘Misunderstanding’ may lead to conflict between US and China over South China Sea, expert warns
One of the United States’ most senior ex-military officers has warned that China and the US risk open conflict over the South China Sea because of basic misunderstandings between the two nations. The former head of National Intelligence and US Pacific Command, retired Admiral Dennis Blair, told Four Corners he does not believe either America or China want to go…
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The South China Sea after ´Philippines v. China´: Summer of Our Discontent?
Although the July 2016 verdicts by the Permanent Court of Arbitration weighed heavily against China’s claims in the South China Sea, Marc Lanteigne knows that the court’s decision is hardly the last word on the subject. At the moment, a cooling-off period would be ideal, but there are several variables which may or may not permit a reduction in tensions…
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Singapore Worried Most About Fishermen and Coast Guards in South China Sea
The risk of a clash in the South China Sea lies with non-military ships, Singapore’s defense minister said, as China deploys more heavily armed coast guard vessels in the disputed waters. Singapore has joined other nations in the region and the U.S. in warning the reliance on fishing boats and coast guards to assert territorial claims in the South China…