News
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US warship sails near disputed islands in South China Sea, officials say
WASHINGTON – A US Navy destroyer carried out a “freedom of navigation” operation on Friday, coming within 12 nautical miles or about 22 kilometers of an artificial island built by China in the disputed South China Sea, US officials told Reuters. Friday’s operation, a move likely to anger China. was the latest attempt to counter what Washington sees as Beijing’s…
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US Navy warship closely sails off Mischief Reef
The US Navy carried out a freedom of navigation operation in one of China’s artificial islands in the South China Sea on Friday, news agency Reuters reported, citing US officials. The USS Mustin sailed 12 nautical miles off Mischief Reef (Panganiban Reef) in the Spratly Islands, a group of islands also being claimed by the Philippines. The warship also “carried…
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South China Sea: Vietnam ‘scraps new oil project’
The two countries had a tense stand-off in 2014 when China drilled for oil in disputed waters Vietnam has cancelled a major oil project in the South China Sea for the second time in a year, in the wake of Chinese pressure, the BBC has learned. State-owned PetroVietnam ordered Spanish energy firm Repsol to suspend a project off the south-east…
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Philippines plans marine base on island near Taiwan to deter poaching
MANILA, March 22 (Reuters) – The Philippines will start building a marine base next month on its northernmost uninhabited island, near Taiwan, to boost defence arrangements and discourage poachers from its fishing grounds, a military spokesman said on Thursday. The two nations’ coast guard ships have confronted each other in the rich fishing waters where their exclusive economic zones overlap,…
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Indonesia pushes for Southeast Asian patrols of disputed waters
SYDNEY – Indonesia has lobbied Southeast Asian countries to carry out maritime patrols in the disputed South China Sea, claimed in most part by China, to improve security, Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said on Friday. Indonesia says it’s a nonclaimant state in the South China Sea dispute, but has clashed with China over fishing rights around the Natuna Islands and…
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Eastern Mediterranean starting to resemble disputed South China Sea
The eastern Mediterranean Sea has become a very busy place, and pressure abounds among coastal neighbors there. Governments are declaring exclusive economic zones (EEZs), but they overlap. States are granting duplicate licenses for natural gas exploration and drilling. Mammoth energy corporations and coastal states are signing hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of hydrocarbon agreements. Frequent maritime safety broadcasts are…
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China is ramping up its presence in the South China sea — and it’s all about oil
While it’s no secret that China has been intensifying its building frenzy, including military installations on islands, reefs and inlets in the heavily disputed South China Sea, it is also becoming increasingly clear that Beijing is not afraid to draw a line in the sand over these mostly dubious claims. Late last week, while downplaying his country’s geopolitical ambitions, China’s…
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Jakarta pushes for patrols by S-E Asian nations in South China Sea
SYDNEY • Indonesia has lobbied South-east Asian countries to carry out maritime patrols in the disputed South China Sea, claimed in most part by China, to improve security, Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said yesterday. Indonesia said it is a non-claimant state in the South China Sea dispute. However, it has clashed with China over fishing rights around the Natuna Islands,…
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US, Japan Conduct Anti-Submarine Warfare Drill in South China Sea
The Carl Vinson Strike Group, led by the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier USS Carl Vinson, kicked off a bilateral naval exercise that includes practicing joint anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations with the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) in the South China Sea on March 11. The USS Carl Vinson and the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer are…
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U.S. aircraft carrier and MSDF helicopter destroyer conduct joint exercises in disputed South China Sea
The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group has kicked off bilateral exercises with the Maritime Self-Defense Force, including one of the largest vessels in Japan’s fleet, in the disputed South China Sea, the U.S. Navy said Tuesday. The navy, which said the Vinson was on a “regularly scheduled deployment in the Western Pacific,” said the Vinson and the USS…
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Australia to stress international law in South China Sea dispute
Bishop, in a speech ahead of a special meeting of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Sydney, will not name China but will argue that international law will stabilize a region strained by rival claims in the South China Sea. “The rules-based order is designed to regulate behavior and rivalries of and between states, and ensure countries…
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China and the Undermining of Global Rules
More Chinese assertiveness and unilateralism are coming. Recently, worrying developments have emerged that oblige the United States to further challenge China to become a more responsible global stakeholder that contributes positively to the international system. Otherwise, passivity and acquiescence undermine the new U.S. National Security Strategy; reinforce Beijing’s growing belief that Washington is a declining power; and may further embolden…