News
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There’s A Fleet Of ‘Fishermen’ Winning China’s Fight For Control Of The Seas
Fishermen drive a boat next to fishing ships docked at a port to shelter from Typhoon Wutip in Sanya, Hainan province September 29, 2013. Picture taken September 29, 2013. REUTERS/Stringer Fishermen drive a boat next to fishing ships docked at a port to shelter from Typhoon Wutip in Sanya, Hainan province September 29, 2013. Picture taken September 29, 2013. REUTERS/Stringer…
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China’s Xi says won’t let anyone make ‘fuss’ about its territory
The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) conducts combined presence operations in the South China Sea with the guided missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) in 2015. File Photo by US Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joe Bishop/Handout BEIJING – China will never allow anyone to “make a great fuss” about its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights,…
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How underwater drone could set tone for Trump’s new relationship with China
SHIFT IN THINKING The seizing by Chinese sailors of a US underwater surveillance drone in the South China Sea speaks to the kind of challenge President-elect Trump is likely to face early in his administration. DECEMBER 18, 2016 PARIS—It is not customary to steal an item from someone and then give it back as a Christmas gift, but that is…
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East Asia in 2017: On land and sea, a year of building power bases
DECEMBER 30, 2016 BEIJING—In East Asia, anxiety about what 2017 holds in store is running as high as anywhere in the world. Here’s a look at some of the stories to keep an eye on as the year unfolds: Q. What will happen at the 19th National Party Congress in China? Every five years, the ruling Communist Party holds the…
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Trump And ‘America First’: End Of Asia-Pacific Pivot? – Analysis
Donald Trump’s unexpected victory has not only shocked the world but is also likely to shake up US foreign policy. While Trump’s unpredictability, campaign rhetoric and unclear foreign policy stance have left analysts and policymakers confused, there are enough hints that indicate significant change in US foreign policy towards Southeast Asia. US Foreign Policy under President Obama US’ role in…
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The year Asia’s power balance shifted
Even as many yearn for the days when America’s influence kept geopolitics stable in the region, this may go down in history as the year when Asia no longer stood to attention when a US president cleared his throat. In the 1942 Hollywood classic Casablanca, Major Strasser of the Third Reich tells the French police prefect that his impression of…
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South China Sea Dramas Distract from Bigger Problems Between America and China
Just when the South China Sea seemed to have quietened down, two key players, China and the United States, have embarked on a series of provocative gestures. But the distrust between these major powers in the South China Sea inhibits their ability to deal with more serious issues in the region and the world at large. In a speech in…
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Duterte foreign policy ‘directionless’: ex-envoy
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte’s foreign policy remains “directionless” six months into his administration, as the Philippines is left with few options to assert its claim in the South China Sea, a former diplomat said. It was “naive” of Duterte to warm up to China while “taking for granted” traditional Western allies, said retired Ambassador Jose Apolinario Lozada. “He did…
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IT IS HIGH TIME TO OUTMANEUVER BEIJING IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA
Editor’s Note: This article is based in part on the author’s recent report for the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, Countering China’s Adventurism in the South China Sea: Strategy Options for the Trump Administration. The policy of the United States and its close allies in the South China Sea has failed. Repeated statements of limited interest accompanied by occasional…
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Duterte draws the line on West Philippine Sea
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he might be forced to confront China if the latter eventually extracts valuable resources from the disputed West Philippine Sea without the Philippines’ knowledge. Duterte has chosen to set aside an arbitral tribunal’s decision declaring China’s massive claim to the resource-rich sea as without basis, opting instead to pursue expand relations with…
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The Next South China Sea Flashpoint: Unmanned Systems
Both China and the U.S. are increasingly using unmanned vehicles in contested waters. The seizure of a U.S. Navy unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) by China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) earlier this month was certainly unprecedented and may augur future frictions. Although the PLAN has since returned the UUV, this incident remains subject to debate. Beyond the legal implications of…
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China Deploys Aircraft Carrier to Disputed South China Sea
Fighter jets on the deck of China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier during military drills in the Bohai Sea, off China’s northeast coast, this month. Credit Agence France-Presse — Getty Images BEIJING — The Chinese military, in a move analysts described as a challenge to President-elect Donald J. Trump’s strident criticism of China, has deployed an aircraft carrier to patrol the contested…