News
-
The South China Sea after ´Philippines v. China´: Summer of Our Discontent?
Although the July 2016 verdicts by the Permanent Court of Arbitration weighed heavily against China’s claims in the South China Sea, Marc Lanteigne knows that the court’s decision is hardly the last word on the subject. At the moment, a cooling-off period would be ideal, but there are several variables which may or may not permit a reduction in tensions…
-
Singapore Worried Most About Fishermen and Coast Guards in South China Sea
The risk of a clash in the South China Sea lies with non-military ships, Singapore’s defense minister said, as China deploys more heavily armed coast guard vessels in the disputed waters. Singapore has joined other nations in the region and the U.S. in warning the reliance on fishing boats and coast guards to assert territorial claims in the South China…
-
Sleeping with the Wrong Enemy
WHY IS President Duterte bent on sleeping with the wrong “enemy” (China), and insulting an old ally (America) which can help us deal more effectively with our big northern neighbor that reportedly undermines human societies through the dangerous drugs it manufactures and smuggles worldwide? He himself has told the media a number of times that “the real drug lords are…
-
Tracking China’s Compliance with the South China Sea Arbitral Award
Since the arbitral tribunal formed pursuant to the UN Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) handed China a stunning legal defeat in July, China has loudly proclaimed its intention to ignore the arbitral award. For most analysts of the region, it has been a working assumption that China has not and will not comply with any parts of…
-
France Unveils Its Defense Strategy in the South China Sea and Beyond
In less than two weeks, the situation in the South China Sea has deteriorated at an accelerated pace: a joint Sino-Russian naval exercise; plans for Japan-U.S. joint patrols in the same area; Taiwan building anti-craft gun towers on Itu Aba; Jakarta trying to get U.S. help to upgrade its naval bases. In all of these activities, the diplomatic waltz can…
-
Golez: Filipinos must remain vigilant in the face of China’s charm offensive
“China should first renounce its claims on our Exclusive Economic Zone and withdraw their forces and dismantle their facilities within our EEZ before the Philippines can even consider China a good faith friend.” While in Vietnam, I am sure the President will see how Vietnam has stood up for centuries against giant neighbor China, engaging China diplomatically and economically, but…
-
Philippine, Chinese coast guards cross paths anew near Panatag Shoal
Philippine and Chinese coast guard vessels engaged once again in another close encounter at the West Philippine Sea. A report of Oscar Oida on GMA News TV’s “News To Go” program featured a video recorded from the Philippines’ BRP Nueva Ecija showing the encounter that ocurred on Friday. The vessels of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Chinese Coast…
-
Taiwan Presses Forward With Secretive Construction After Downgrade of Its South China Sea Island
WASHINGTON — There are no islands in the Spratly Islands. Only rocks. At least, that’s according to an international tribunal’s ruling earlier this year that said, based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS, Taiwan’s “Itu Aba” island is in fact, just a rock. Itu Aba, also known as Taiping Island, is the largest…
-
U.S. Air Force and Navy May Challenge China in the South China Sea
Air Force Secretary Deborah James said the service will likely conduct new freedom of navigation flights in the skies above the South China Sea in response to China’s continued militarization and artificial “island-building” in the area. “We will exercise our freedom of navigation in the air,’ James told reporters. Calling China’s behavior “worrisome,” James addressed many lingering complexities regarding the…
-
Does Russia Have a South China Sea Problem?
At the G20 Hangzhou summit earlier this month, China made clear that Russian president Vladimir Putin was a top guest. Both China and Russia claim that their bilateral relations are the “best ever’ and demonstrate an “unprecedentedly high level of trust.” Putin described the relationships as a “comprehensive partnership and strategic collaboration.” The China–Russia relationship is based on a mutual…
-
4-star admiral wants to confront China. The White House says not so fast.
The U.S. military’s top commander in the Pacific is arguing behind closed doors for a more confrontational approach to counter and reverse China’s strategic gains in the South China Sea, appeals that have met resistance from the White House at nearly every turn. Adm. Harry Harris is proposing a muscular U.S. response to China’s island-building that may include launching aircraft…
-
Behind the Scenes / Struggling to build coalition to contain China
The situation surrounding the South China Sea has started to change, as the positions of such relevant players as the Philippines and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are wavering in regard to the Chinese buildup of military bases. The governments of Japan and the United States, which have called for China to exercise self-restraint, now find themselves in a…