News
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Indonesia eyes regular navy exercises with U.S. in South China Sea
(Reuters) – Indonesia wants to hold regular military exercises with the United States near the sparsely populated Natuna archipelago, an area of the South China Sea near China’s claims, a navy spokesman said on Monday. Although Indonesia is not a claimant in the South China Sea, the military has accused China of including parts of Natuna within its so called…
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Not helpless against China
Artificial Islands, China, Militarization, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysAs we continue to preoccupy ourselves with debates on the Bangsamoro Basic Law and who really is responsible for the death of the SAF 44, China has been busy reclaiming the Spratly Islands and building structures on reefs considered by the Philippines as part of its exclusive economic zone under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Filipino…
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PLA’s DF-21D anti-ship missile can reach Philippines: US report
China’s DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile has extended the attack range of the People’s Liberation Army Navy all the way to the Philippines, according to the US Navy’s first unclassified assessment report of the Chinese navy in six years. In The PLA Navy: New Capabilities and Missions for the 21st Century, released April 10, America’s Office of Naval Intelligence said the…
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Beijing, With an Eye on the South China Sea, Adds Patrol Ships
SINGAPORE — China is rapidly building coast guard ships, the vessels that China most commonly uses for patrols in the South China Sea, and in the last three years has increased the number of ships in that category 25 percent, a new report by the United States Navy says. China has the world’s largest coast guard fleet, with more such…
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Challenging China’s hegemony in the South China Sea
The April 9 editorial “ ‘Great Wall of sand’ ” asked the right question: “Why is China paving over these Pacific atolls?” The “why” is clear: to gain unchallenged hegemony in the South China Sea. And the threat is stark: The sea is a vital commercial and security link between the Pacific and Indian oceans. The question is what to…
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In the global game of power in Asia, America is beating China hands down
When Hillary Clinton joined Barack Obama’s “Team of Rivals” in 2009 she announced her foreign policy priorities by flying straight to Tokyo, Jakarta, Seoul and Beijing. This realignment from George W. Bush’s adventures in Iraq grew into her “pivot” to Asia, and Obama’s “rebalancing” and, eventually, a region-wide hedge against Chinese aggression. In contrast, when John Kerry took over as…
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Get Ready: China Could Pull a ‘Crimea’ in Asia
Zhang Wenmu [张文木] is a major fixture of the Chinese foreign policy debate. Unlike many of his colleagues in the Beijing foreign policy scene, he does not frequent seminars and workshops with Western counterparts. He has remained noticeably apart from the “jet-set” of Beijing talking heads that are racking up thousands of airline miles with monthly visits to various think…
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China’s ‘New’ Carrier Killer Subs
The Chinese Navy in in the process of commissioning three new nuclear-powered attack submarines, according to China Daily. The report, quoted on the website Defense Tech, furthermore notes that the new vessels will be equipped with a new vertical launching system capable of firing supersonic anti-ship missiles. The “new” SSNs are in fact, upgraded versions of the Type-093 Shang-class second-generation nuclear-powered attack…
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Mischief Reef land reclamation to restrict PH access to Ayungin, Recto Bank
Artificial Islands, Ayungin Shoal, China, Mischief Reef, Panganiban Reef, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysMANILA – China’s land reclamation activities at Panganiban Reef, internationally known as Mischief Reef, could be its first step in gradually restricting the Philippines’ access to Ayungin Shoal and the Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea. But for one analyst, the bigger objective of China is to put in place a “strategic triangle” in the South China Sea which…
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China cementing reach in South China Sea with civilian infrastructure
Artificial Islands, China, Diplomatic Relations, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, USA, Vietnam(Reuters) – China’s plans for islands it is creating in the South China Sea show for the first time the scale of civilian architecture it will extend across the disputed waterway, entrenching its reach in the maritime heart of Southeast Asia, experts say. China’s Foreign Ministry gave rare detail on Thursday, saying reclamation and building work in the Spratly archipelago…
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US, Indonesian Navies Conduct Air Patrol Exercise in South China Sea
On Thursday, the the U.S. and Indonesian navies carried out a joint maritime air patrol in the waters around the Natuna archipelago. The patrol involved 88 personnel overall. The United States committed a P-3C Orion fleet comprising four ships and 21 personnel. In terms of Indonesian hardware, the Indonesian navy committed CN-235 and NC-212 short take-off and landing (STOL) maritime…
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New Images Show China Literally Gaining Ground in South China Sea
Washington: The clusters of Chinese vessels busily dredge white sand and pump it onto partly submerged coral, aptly named Mischief Reef, transforming it into an island. Over a matter of weeks, satellite photographs show the island growing bigger, its few shacks on stilts replaced by buildings. What appears to be an amphibious warship, capable of holding 500 to 800 troops,…