News
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If China builds in Scarborough Shoal, it would come ‘after G20 summit’
China will not carry out any reclamation work in the Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea before hosting the G20 summit next month, but it might begin construction before the US presidential election in November, a source familiar with the matter said. Beijing would also avoid taking any provocative action in the shoal right now given the Philippines…
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Behind Indonesia’s ambivalence in the South China Sea
The push of domestic politics With so much at stake why does Indonesia’s policy position on the South China Sea seem so ambivalent? Muhamad Arif looks at the domestic factors in play. Under President Joko Widodo – commonly known as Jokowi – Indonesian foreign and security policy has been notable for its ambivalence when it comes to dealing with the…
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China’s $15 Billion Energy Ambitions Crushed Within Two Weeks
China’s infrastructure investors have had a tough two weeks, with plugs being pulled on at least $15 billion of potential deals in nuclear power and electricity distribution. Britain and Australia refused to sign off on investments where state-owned Chinese companies were ready to provide much-needed funding. In both cases, the long-term utility programs were halted in the later stages, stunning…
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Why the South China Sea is on the Verge of an Environmental Disaster
Of all the “strategic” challenges confronting the Asia-Pacific region, none is as underrated as the destruction of the marine ecosystem. The South China Sea’s status as a critical waterway draws attention away from the fact that littoral Southeast Asia is one of the world’s most diverse global marine bio-systems, hosting 76 percent of the world’s coral species and 37 percent…
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The Great South China Sea Cool Down?
Second, bilateral negotiations may increasingly be seen as a viable option. China’s ‘dual-track’ approach suggests that management of the South China Sea issue should be pursued at the multilateral level. It is the other track — the Chinese position of using the bilateral approach for resolving territorial disputes — that creates suspicions that China could exploit ASEAN claimant states from…
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Report: China Could Make a Big Move in the South China Sea Starting Next Month
It seems if the People’s Republic of China is going to make a push to radically alter the status-quo in the South China Sea—by reclaiming the hotly disputed Scarborough Shoal that is clearly within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Philippines—we now have a good idea of when that might happen: sometime between early September, after the G-20 summit…
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China’s Defiance in the South China Sea
A billboard featuring an image of an island in South China Sea on display that reads: “South China Sea, our beautiful motherland, we won’t let go an inch”. Credit CHINATOPIX, via Associated Press No one expected last month’s international arbitration court decision to be the last word on the tug-of-war over the South China Sea and its many islands, rocks…
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Rio 2016: Does the Chinese public have a victim narrative?
Related news: According to one poll, more than 80% of the Chinese public think Rio’s judges have a sinister bias against China One week into the Olympic Games and Chinese patriots have a lot of complaints. A brief shortlist might start with judges biased against Chinese athletes. In all Rio venues, the points of the gold stars on the Chinese…
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The South China Sea Ruling: 1 Month Later
One month has passed since the International Tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague handed down its historic and sweeping award on maritime entitlements in the South China Sea (SCS), overwhelmingly favoring the Philippines over China. As expected, Beijing refused to accept the PCA ruling, hardened its legal and diplomatic positions, and yet refrained from undertaking…
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China-Philippines fishing deal ‘may help calm troubled South China Sea waters’
Beijing and Manila could explore ways to open the Scarborough Shoal to fishermen from both countries and jointly develop fish farms in the disputed waters, according to the head of a government-affiliated think tank after talks with former Philippine president Fidel Ramos. Wu Shicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said Ramos’ five-day fence-mending trip to…
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Philippines-US alliance remains strong – Duterte
MANILA, Philippines – President Duterte affirmed yesterday Manila’s strong alliance with Washington after the US State Department summoned Manila’s chargé d’affaires over what it described as Duterte‘s “inappropriate” remarks about US Ambassador Philip Goldberg. Duterte called Goldberg “bakla (gay)” and “buwisit (pest)” in a speech before soldiers in Cebu City last Friday. He also admitted being ticked off by the…
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PH, Japan to China: Respect law in sea row
JAPAN and the Philippines joined forces on Thursday to call on China to observe the rule of law in resolving maritime disputes after an international tribunal rejected Beijing’s claims to most of the South China Sea. Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida met his counterpart Perfecto Yasay in the southern Philippine city of Davao where both pledged to work closely to…