News
-
Japan offers two patrol ships to Sri Lanka with China in sight
Without mentioning China’s increasing activities in the Indian Ocean and the East and South China seas, Japan and Sri Lanka “reconfirmed the importance of maintaining the freedom of the high seas and maritime order based on the rule of law”, according to a statement issued after their meeting in Nagoya, central Japan. In a separate meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister…
-
Palace: G7 declaration backs PH claim in sea dispute with China
Malacañang on Sunday said that the declaration of the Group of Seven (G7) leaders on the South China Sea supported the country’s claim in the disputed waters. Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said that the G7 Declaration stressed adherence to the rule of law in solving the territorial dispute—a key element of the country’s policy on the issue. “In expressing…
-
Digong: China must respect UN decision
DAVAO CITY—President-elect Rodrigo Duterte said China must abide by the ruling of the United Nations tribunal on the arbitration case lodged by the Philippines against Beijing’s nine-dash line claim over the entire South China Sea. While China has snubbed the UN proceeding, Duterte said it must respect the decision of the tribunal, which is expected to be handed out soon.…
-
Little blue men: the maritime militias pushing China’s claims
China is using large numbers of irregular maritime militias, dubbed “little blue men”, to assert and expand its control over an increasingly large area of disputed and reclaimed islands and reefs in the strategically important South China Sea, the Pentagon says. The militias, comprising hundreds of fishermen and motor boats mainly based on Hainan island, south of the mainland, have…
-
Canadian prime minister endorses Japanese position on South China Sea ahead of G7 summit
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau travelled to Japan earlier this week for a bilateral meeting with his counterpart Shinzo Abe ahead of the G7 summit. The main issue in Trudeau’s meeting with Abe Tuesday was the reaffirmation of both countries’ agreement on an anti-Chinese position in the conflicts in the South and East China seas. They also discussed improving trade…
-
Group of Seven sends strong message to China
ISE CITY, Japan—With a keen eye on the Philippines’ legal battle with China over territory in the South China Sea, the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced democracies have agreed to send a strong message on the importance of international law in resolving maritime disputes in Asia. Though no individual countries were mentioned, the contents of their declaration…
-
Defense Secretary Discusses Concerns in South China Sea
China could be erecting “a Great Wall of self-isolation” with its increasingly provocative moves against its neighbors, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Friday. Carter focused on the Asia-Pacific region during his commencement speech at the U.S. Naval Academy. Carter said China wants and enjoys the benefits of free trade and a free Internet, but sometimes chooses to restrict both. “The…
-
South China Sea WW3: Relentless Xi Jinping Will Make Sure China Wins War
China is trying to step its game in the military arena as tensions with other countries, particularly in the South China Sea, continue to rise. President Xi Jinping has instructed the military to ramp up its capabilities while carrier-killer missiles are reportedly in tow. China’s Xi Jinping wants its military to deal with more complicated security challenges. But while China’s…
-
PH proposes to expand agreement on air, naval encounters
The Philippines is pushing for the inclusion of coast guards and other maritime forces in the Code of Unplanned Encounters at Sea (Cues), an agreement covering air and naval encounters among 20 countries. The proposal was made at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM) in Laos this week, the Department of National Defense said in…
-
Beijing Calls South China Sea Island Reclamation a ‘Green Project’
BEIJING, China — Sand, cement, and Chinese military facilities now sit on top of some of the South China Sea’s once-thriving reefs; China has built over half a dozen new artificial islands in a bid to bolster its territorial claims in the hotly disputed region. Such reclamation devastates the local marine habitat. But according to China, these activities do not…
-
Leaders of G7 nations to pay close attention on maritime disputes in Asia
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, stands with other leaders of Group of Seven industrial nations, from left, European Council President Donald Tusk, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, U.S. President Barack Obama, Abe, French President Francois Hollande, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker as they pose…
-
Beijing Is Angering Its Only Friend In The Disputed South China Sea
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. China has upset Asian neighbors from Japan to Vietnam by flexing harder than the rest on its claims to vast swathes of disputed oceans. But Asia’s third largest country, Indonesia, usually tolerates its brushes with Beijing to keep up prized economic ties. Now China is pushing its only friend in the disputed…