News
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China calls out G7 for ‘irresponsible’ statement on South China Sea
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 26) — The Chinese government dismissed as “irresponsible” the joint statement made by a number of countries on the South China Sea dispute. “We ask the relevant countries to respect facts, especially when it comes to maritime issues. They should also respect the efforts made by regional countries to uphold stability while focusing on cooperation…
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Vietnam demands that China remove military jamming equipment from Spratly Islands
The equipment installed by China causes radio jamming and seriously violates Vietnam’s sovereignty. Vietnam’s foreign ministry spokesperson said Tuesday that China has seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty by installing military jamming equipment on outposts in Truong Sa, Spratly Islands off the South China Sea, commonly known as the East Sea in Vietnam. Le Thi Thu Hang told the press that the…
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Is China’s Belt and Road working? A progress report from eight countries
GWADAR, Pakistan — The idea of transforming the ancient fishing village of Gwadar into a bustling port city has been around since at least 1954, when Pakistan commissioned the U.S. Geological Survey to examine its coastline. Their conclusion: Gwadar, which sits on the Arabian Sea, would be an ideal location for a deep-water port. Gwadar’s potential went unrealized for decades,…
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Prime minister says Australia will sail in South China Sea
CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s prime minister said the Australian navy has a “perfect right” to traverse the South China Sea after a media report Friday that the Chinese navy had challenged three Australian warships in the hotly contested waterway. The Chinese “challenged” two Australian frigates and an oil replenishment ship this month as the Australian ships were sailing to Vietnam,…
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Australia asserts right to South China Sea passage
MELBOURNE • Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull asserted his country’s right to conduct freedom of navigation exercises in the South China Sea after a media report said three Australian navy warships had been challenged by Chinese forces. The Australian Broadcasting Corp said the People’s Liberation Army, conducting its largest ever naval exercises in the region earlier this month, challenged the…
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BEIJING’S SOUTH CHINA SEA MILITARY BASES NOW HAVE JAMMERS THAT CAN BLOCK AMERICAN RADAR AND COMMUNICATIONS, U.S. CLAIMS
United States officials claimed that China has installed military jamming equipment on fortified artificial islands in the South China Sea which will allow Beijing to block enemy radar and communications systems. This latest step in China’s militarization of its island bases signifies Beijing’s determination to assert its regional territorial claims, regardless of U.S. opposition. According to The Wall Street Journal,…
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US, Japanese, Australian warships dock in PH this week amid sea tensions
Some warships of the Philippines’ traditional allies – US, Japan, and Australia – are set to dock in the Philippines this week for port visits amid escalating tensions in the South China Sea. The USS Theodore Roosevelt arrived in Manila on Wednesday for a port visit, the US Embassy announced. The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is on a Western Pacific deployment.…
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U.S. and China Have Bigger Problems Than a Trade War
Fake islands, the Taiwan Travel Act and Chinese outreach to Russia are making military conflict more likely. The tit-for-tat trade sanctions fight between the U.S and China may be getting the headlines and rocking financial markets, but some less-noticed recent flare-ups between the world’s preeminent powers may present more lasting, and perilous, complications for American policymakers. The new National Defense…
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US wants Code of Conduct on West PH Sea negotiations ‘transparent’
MANILA — As an “interested party” in the achievement of peace in the Pacific region, the United States is encouraging transparency in the negotiations for the crafting of the Code of Conduct (COC) on the West Philippine Sea. In a conference call with the press on Thursday, Patrick Murphy, US State Department’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Southeast Asia, said…
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Are China and the Philippines Agreeing to Share the South China Sea?
In theory, any resource-sharing agreement should be consistent with both countries’ national as well as the 2016 international tribunal ruling at The Hague, which nullified much of China’s nine-dash line map claims to areas Manila views as its own. The Philippine constitution bars any JDA with a foreign entity that refuses to acknowledge the country’s sovereignty within its Exclusive Economic…
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Islands of Chinese power
When the US aircraft carrier, Carl Vincent, recently made a port call at Da Nang, Vietnam, it attracted international attention because this was the first time that a large contingent of US military personnel landed on Vietnamese soil since the last of the American troops withdrew from that country in 1975. The symbolism of this port call, however, cannot obscure…
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What a Nixed Energy Project Reveals About Vietnam’s South China Sea Calculus
Late last month, Vietnam suspended ongoing work on a major oil drilling project in disputed waters between it and China in the South China Sea, reportedly under Chinese pressure. The incident revealed the ongoing challenge Vietnam faces in protecting its interests in the vital waterway as Beijing continues to aggressively assert its maritime claims. Vietnam is no stranger to this…