News
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Singapore backs peaceful resolution of sea dispute
SINGAPORE – The city-state of Singapore has expressed support for a peaceful resolution of the overlapping claims of some areas in the South China Sea. Although Singapore is not a claimant state, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan noted that majority of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have trade and economic-related interests, which also puts premium on…
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China confirms deployment of fighters to South China Sea island for first time
China has for the first time confirmed the deployment of fighter jets to Woody Island in the disputed South China Sea, state media have reported. Citing footage aired by the official state broadcaster, the Global Times reported late Friday that China had sent J-11B fighters to the island in the contested Paracel chain. While fighter jets had…
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Combat ready: Chinese air force puts new Y-9 transport planes through paces in South China Sea drill
The People’s Liberation Army Air Force announced on its social media account on Saturday that a fleet of the aircraft from the Western Theatre Command flew thousands of kilometres to simulate an airdrop over an island in the contested waters before returning the same day. The exercise was conducted in mock combat conditions and without weather data or guidance…
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As China Rises, Australia Asks Itself: Can It Rely on America?
BEIJING — When the Australian government set out to write a new foreign policy paper, it faced hotly contested questions shaping the country’s future: Will China replace the United States as the dominant power in Asia? If so, how quickly? The government’s answers came in a so-called white paper released last month by the administration of Prime Minister…
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Analysis: ADIZ in South China Sea unlikely for now say experts
Last week the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) deployed J-11B fighters to Woody Island in the South China Sea. Simultaneously, Y-9 transport aircraft from the Western Theatre Command flew to the same maritime area to support mock combat operations. In the light of such activity, it is an ideal time to address speculation that China will establish…
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South China Sea: Filipino fishermen hope for Chinese benevolence
As Filipino fishermen set sail for the Scarborough Shoal, they hope for three things: a bountiful fish catch, their safety, and benevolence from the Chinese coastguard. For the past two years, Paolo Pumicpic, captain of the JJ2 fishing boat, has been at the mercy of the sea; he hasn’t been lucky with any of the three. The South China…
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Experts call for ‘strategic trust’ in East Sea
HCM CITY — While the East Sea (South China Sea) situation remains uncertain, nations should build “strategic trust” to maintain peace, stability and development in the region, a Vietnamese official told an international conference held in HCM City yesterday. Nearly 200 senior officials, business executives, experts, academics and diplomats are participating in the ninth International Conference on the…
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Opinion: China Has Tempered Its Expansion In The Disputed South China Sea
The government in Beijing has made no official statement to this effect, but connect the dots and here’s a picture: It has mothballed for now a quest to landfill new islands in Asia’s major disputed waterway, the South China Sea. Land reclamation had alarmed five other Asian governments that vie with China for sovereignty over the sea, which is…
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Trump administration backs Australia white paper
The Trump administration has endorsed the Turnbull government’s foreign policy white paper which tilted more hawkish on China, with a senior US diplomat saying the document outlines “issues of concern” that are shared by the US and Australia. In contrast to China’s response that Australia should stop making “irresponsible” comments about territorial disputes in the South China Sea,…
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A Defiant Map-Hunter Stakes Vietnam’s Claims in the South China Sea
Tran Duc Anh Son, a historian in Danang, Vietnam, says his government is afraid to use the records he uncovered to challenge Beijing. “That’s why we have many documents that are kept in the dark.” Credit Quinn Ryan Mattingly for The New York Times DANANG, Vietnam — Eight years ago, officials in Danang asked Tran Duc Anh Son to…
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Chinese air force patrols over South China Sea ‘show PLA’s capacity to breach cold war line of containment’
A team of Chinese air force bombers has carried out a series of patrols over the disputed South China Sea, in an exercise the People’s Liberation Army said showed its capability to breach the cold war era line of containment. By registering you agree to our T&Cs & Privacy Policy The air force said on Thursday that the…
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A South China Sea Code of Conduct: Is Real Progress Possible?
A closer look at steps toward finalizing a long-anticipated Code of Conduct. At the recently concluded 31st ASEAN Summit Meetings in Manila, the leaders of ASEAN and China formally announced the start of negotiations on the fine print of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. The agreement comes just three months after the foreign ministers…