News
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LETTER: China’s South Sea ambitions
Generals view the country as the jewel of the first island chain and essential for control of the China sea No sooner had he achieved president-for-life status than the daggers were being honed on the continuing American trade war, the slowing economy and high costs of the belt and road initiative. For Mao Zedong invincible status within the Chinese pantheon,…
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Philippines Concerned Amid Possible Ex-US Naval Base
After a major corporate bankruptcy of a shipyard located at a former US naval base known as Subic Bay, Philippine and US officials are concerned that a port near the disputed South China Sea could fall under China’s control. Officials, including the Philippine defence secretary, expressed concerns regarding the Chinese presence in the area, including an economic presence, and fear…
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China Significantly Boosts Size of Navy and Air Force, Downsizes Army
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (pla) is undergoing “transformational changes” to greatly boost the size of its navy and air force and to downsize its land-based army by nearly half, the nation’s official Xinhua news agency said on January 20. “This new data is unprecedented in the history of the pla,” the agency wrote. As a result of the changes,…
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WATCH China Test Launch ‘Carrier Killer’ Missile Amid Strait Tensions With US
Earlier, the Chinese military mobilised its DF-26 nuclear-capable intermediate-range anti-ship missiles, also known as ‘Guam Killers’ for their ability to strike American military installations on the Pacific island, amid ongoing US ‘freedom of navigation’ missions in the South China Sea and through the Taiwan Strait. Chinese state television has released a video showing the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force firing…
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Growing Chinese Navy Adds to Risk of Clashes in Asia’s Major Maritime Dispute
TAIPEI — A Chinese missile frigate returned last week from a five-day, friendly visit to the Philippines — days after a Chinese fleet had visited Cambodia and half a year after a Chinese state firm started taking bids to build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, a sign of Beijing’s growing power at sea. Multiple media outlets last week cited a Chinese…
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Coercive Gradualism Through Gray Zone Statecraft In South China Seas: China’s Strategy And Potential US Options – Analysis
China’s graduated use of coercive instruments of national power in the South China Sea (SCS) constitutes an informed strategy.1 Such coercive gradualism is supported by gray zone tactics, which are measures that are aggressive yet designed to remain below the threshold of conventional military conflict.2 This combined approach minimizes international involvement, localizes issues, and ensures contentious outcomes in China’s favor.…
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China’s ‘Dark Fishing Fleets’ Cast a Black Shadow Over the South China Sea
A U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies report, “Illuminating the South China Sea’s Dark Fishing Fleets,” sheds new light on the size and behavior of fishing fleets in the Spratly Islands. The report reveals the presence of a large “dark fishing fleet” in the South China Sea and concludes that “most of these vessels serve, at least part-time, in…
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Christopher Pyne says China has raised regional ‘anxiety’ over its activities in the South China Sea
Defence Minister Christopher Pyne has called on Beijing to act responsibly in the South China Sea and avoid mimicking Russia’s “might is right” approach to diplomacy. But he urged Beijing to rethink its approach to the politically-charged waters of the South China Sea, arguing the world power was eroding regional confidence and increasing anxiety, including with activities like building artificial…
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CNO: U.S., Chinese Navies Improving Working Relationships
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Navy’s top officer stressed the importance of his personal relationship with his Chinese Navy counterpart and in continuing a dialogue to minimize the risks from the obvious tensions between the two most powerful Pacific naval forces. “I don’t think there is any question that we’re in a competition and there are going to be areas where…
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The Navy Has Had Enough of Missile Defense; And Sees It’s Chance
WASHINGTON: The Navy is looking to get out of the missile defense business, the service’s top admiral said today, and the Pentagon’s new missile defense review might give the service the off-ramp it has been looking for to stop sailing in circles waiting for ground-based missile launches. This wasn’t the first time Adm. John Richardson bristled in public over his…
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US naval chief: American and Chinese navies in talks to reduce risk of South China Sea miscalculation
Admiral John Richardson said a ‘continuous dialogue’ is aimed at building understanding Admiral John Richardson told an audience at the Washington-based Brookings Institute that the interchanges between the two navies aim to build communication to avoid a potentially disastrous blunder. The discussions are a positive sign that China and the US are moving forward with a plan to reduce tensions…
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US charges 2 with China intelligence ties in hacking case
WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. officials say two Chinese citizens acting on behalf of their country’s main intelligence agency carried out an extensive hacking campaign to steal data from military service members, government agencies and private companies in the United States and nearly a dozen other nations. It was the latest in a series of indictments targeting cyberespionage from Beijing. The…