News
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Duterte Reaches out to U.S. Amid South China Sea Harassment
As reports that Chinese vessels are increasing in number near Pag-asa (Thitu) Island in the South China Sea, Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte has hinted at a possible reconciliation with the U.S. Duterte made a surprise announcement that he wanted to be “friendly” with the U.S., a view which contrasts to earlier statements. On several previous occasions, he called on U.S.…
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South China Sea: Philippines Plans Spratly Upgrades
The Philippines Armed Forces will upgrade the airstrip on Thitu Island, among other improvement. The Philippines will begin important upgrades to its primary outpost in the disputed Spratly group in the South China Sea. According to Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Modernization Program will finance the paving of the 1.3 kilometer-long airstrip on Thitu,…
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US carrier navigates crowded South China Sea waters as North Korea tensions mount
While maintaining operational readiness amid protracted tensions over North Korea, US navy is also keeping an eye on China. ABOARD THE USS RONALD REAGAN, SOUTH CHINA SEA: As the commanders of the largest US warship in Asia seek to maintain operational readiness amid protracted tensions over North Korea, they find themselves keeping one eye on China, too. On Saturday, as…
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US carrier navigates crowded South China Sea waters as North Korea tensions mount
While maintaining operational readiness amid protracted tensions over North Korea, US navy is also keeping an eye on China. F-18 Super Hornet jet fighters were took-off USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier during routine drills deep in the South China Sea. ABOARD THE USS RONALD REAGAN, SOUTH CHINA SEA: As the commanders of the largest US warship in Asia seek to…
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The South China Sea and China’s “Four Sha” Claim: New Legal Theory, Same Bad Argument
The Washington Free Beacon reports that China may be backing away from its most controversial legal justification in the South China Sea: the “Nine-Dash Line.” Officials from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs advanced a new legal theory at a closed-door meeting with U.S. State Department officials last month that would rely upon China’s sovereignty claims over the “Four…
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Australian fleet must be wary of meddling in South China Sea affairs
As Australian media reported of late, six Australian naval ships carrying 1,200 personnel have sailed toward the South China Sea. It remains unclear how far the ships have moved into the disputed sea area. The fleet has departed for “Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2017” with stops at Japan, South Korea and the Philippines in a biggest military operation of its kind…
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Why Trump’s ‘South China Sea card’ is unlikely to work this time
An online feud between US President Donald Trump and NBA superstars Stephen Curry and LeBron James may have grabbed some headlines around the world, but what the international community is truly concerned about right now is whether Trump’s recently renewed feud with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would eventually escalate into a war. Last week, addressing the United…
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THE ROYAL NAVY AND FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION OPERATIONS
In July, two major announcements were made renewing the Royal Navy’s commitment to the principle of freedom of navigation in the coming years. Firstly, the Secretary of State for Defence, the Right Honourable Michael Fallon, told Reuters that Britain was intending to send a warship to the South China Sea in 2018. The Defence Secretary explicitly stated that, “we have…
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Australia Positioning to Help US Check China’s Maritime Expansion
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Australia, concerned about its vast regional trade network, is joining Japan, India and the United States in countering Chinese expansion in Asia’s biggest maritime dispute. Six Australian warships were moving toward the South China Sea this week, with no publicized destination, for military exercises. Australian media has called the mission their country’s largest in 30…
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Beijing Adopts New Tactic for S. China Sea Claims ‘Four Sha’ island groups replace illegal 9-Dash Line
The Chinese government recently unveiled a new legal tactic to promote Beijing’s aggressive claim to own most of the strategic South China Sea. The new narrative that critics are calling “lawfare,” or legal warfare, involves a shift from China’s so-called “9-Dash Line” ownership covering most of the sea. The new lawfare narrative is called the “Four Sha”—Chinese for sand—and…
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2 Vietnamese fishermen killed in West PH Sea incident
SUMMARY CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines (4th UPDATE) – Two Vietnamese fishermen were killed while 5 others were arrested on Saturday, September 23, in an incident with the Philippine Navy in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). Lieutenant Jose Covarrubias, spokesman of the Naval Forces Northern Luzon, said the bodies of the two Vietnamese nationals were found aboard a foreign fishing…
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A dangerous manoeuvre on South China Seayour say
This has something to do with a Chinese interception in the South China Sea. The Pentagon on Friday said it was concerned about an “unsafe and unprofessional” encounter between two Chinese fighters and a US surveillance plane over the South China Sea. The Chinese J-10 warplanes intercepted a US Navy P-3 that was operating in international airspace on…