News
-
Behind the Scenes / Struggling to build coalition to contain China
The situation surrounding the South China Sea has started to change, as the positions of such relevant players as the Philippines and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are wavering in regard to the Chinese buildup of military bases. The governments of Japan and the United States, which have called for China to exercise self-restraint, now find themselves in a…
-
Singapore accuses Chinese paper of fabricating South China Sea story
Singapore’s ambassador to China on Tuesday accused a major state-run Chinese newspaper of fabricating a report about Singapore’s position on the South China Sea, but the paper stuck by its story. The Global Times said on Sept. 21 that at a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Venezuela, Singapore had raised the issue of the disputed waterway and an international…
-
South China Sea: The Case Against an ADIZ
Following the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s (PCA) unanimous ruling undermining the legal basis for China’s “nine-dash line” claim, Beijing repeated its prior threat to establish an aircraft defense identification zone (ADIZ) above the South China Sea (SCS). An ADIZ is an area of airspace, adjacent to but beyond the national airspace and territory of the state, where aircraft are identified,…
-
PH needs world support on sea row – Defense exec
AN official of the Department of National Defense told a recent Japan-Asean Vice-Ministerial Meeting that the Philippines needs the support of the international community as Beijing remained recalcitrant in not recognizing and abiding by an international tribunal ruling against its sweeping claims to the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea). At the same meeting, Defense Undersecretary Ricardo David called on…
-
Barack Obama’s ‘Asian pivot’ failed. China is in the ascendancy
Tsai Ing-wen is new to the job and the strain is beginning to show. Elected president of Taiwan in a landslide victory, she took office in May, buoyed by high approval ratings. Yet in a few short months, Tsai’s popularity has plunged by 25%. The reason may be summed up in one word: China. Suspicious that Tsai’s Democratic Progressive party,…
-
Could Duterte’s Comments Be a Threat to Peace in Southeast Asia?
Duterte has picked fights with Obama and with the EU. His behaviour is shaking the US-Philippine alliance and stability in Southeast Asia. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during a news conference in Davao after Norwegian national Kjartan Sekkingstad was freed from the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Islamist militant group in Jolo, Sulu in southern Philippines September 18, 2016. Credit: Lean…
-
South China Sea: How to Prevent China From Changing the Status Quo
“China appears to be testing opportunities on its maritime borders – where is the weak spot it can exploit?” http://thediplomat.com/2016/09/south-china-sea-how-to-prevent-china-from-changing-the-status-quo/
-
China’s Nine-Dash Line and its Misplaced National Pride
Managing Director of Risk Cooperative / Co-author of “Global Risk Agility and Decision Making”. Even after The Hague decision, China’s government continues to vociferously argue that its ‘nine-dash line’ of sovereignty over the entire South China Sea is based on centuries of maritime history, and that China’s claim is air tight. In a letter to The Economist, the Chinese Foreign…
-
China to fly drones over South China Sea
BEIJING: China is capable of flying drones over the disputed South China Sea to keep a watch over the contested waters spread over 3.5 million square km. These indigenous drones will hover over the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea claimed by both China and Japan, an official said. “Many of the islands and reefs in the South China…
-
Submarine sanctuary: Why China is so determined to establish dominance over the South China Sea
President Barack Obama’s final address to the UN General Assembly featured a pointed swipe at Beijing’s aggressive moves to militarise “a few rocks and reefs” in the South China Sea. “A peaceful resolution of disputes offered by law will mean far greater stability,” he said. Indeed, installing airstrips and missiles on reclaimed land would represent a rather feeble effort to…
-
Barack Obama’s pivot to Asia in tatters
Rodrigo Duterte has described any criticism from the US as a violation of Philippine sovereignty. To assert Philippine independence from the US, Duterte has openly suggested sourcing military hardware from Russia and China, writes Heydarian [Reuters]To assert Philippine independence from the US, Duterte has openly suggested sourcing military hardware from Russia and China, writes “No, I will only bring [up]…
-
Japan and China’s maritime tensions in the South China Sea are resurfacing World War II-era wounds
Last month, Japan’s defense ministry requested a record budget of about $51 billion for fiscal 2017. At the top of its security worries: China’s maritime aggression. Japan has reason to worry. In both the East China Sea and South China Sea, Tokyo faces an increasingly assertive China that looks determined to become an unfettered maritime powerhouse—and is beefing up its…