News
-
China could begin reclamation in disputed Scarborough Shoal as early as next month
JUDGING by fresh reports, China won’t be folding to stern threats over the South China Sea any time soon. In a bold move that would be sure to raise tensions, the emerging superpower may be ramping up its attempt to reclaim the Scarborough Shoal, a key disputed territory in the area. On the weekend, the South China Morning Post reported…
-
Can China Keep India Silent Over the South China Sea?
The upcoming G20 summit provides China a unique chance to chance to demonstrate China’s “good intentions” as a responsible stakeholder. To facilitate the summit, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited India over the weekend for strategic communications with Indian side. According to Wang, China and India reached an important consensus that both states should firmly support each other in hosting…
-
Here’s How the Philippines Can Win in the South China Sea
A third-century BC Roman dictator may have the answers. Here’s How the Philippines Can Win in the South China Sea The Philippine Islands has a problem. It has international law on its side in its quarrel with China over maritime territory, but no policeman walking his beat to enforce the law. That means that, despite an international court’s findings, the…
-
United We Stand, Divided We Fall: ASEAN skirts around the South China Sea ruling
July’s ASEAN summit provided a rare opportunity to reflect on the recent Hague ruling on the Philippines’ dispute with China in the South China Sea. However, the summit concluded without a clear response from the region, allowing China to continue with belligerent actions in the region. By MANDIRA BAGWANDEEN. Mandira Bagwandeen is Asia Pacific analyst at S-RM (formerly Salamanca Risk…
-
China, ASEAN aim to complete framework of South China Sea rules next year
Since 2010, China and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been discussing a set of rules aimed at avoiding conflict among rival claimants in the busy waterway. Last month, an arbitration court in the Hague ruled that China had no historic title over the South China Sea and had breached the Philippines’ sovereign rights…
-
Taiwan reasserts claim to Taiping Island
TAIPEI: Minister of the Interior Yeh Jiunn-rong led a team of officials and researchers to Taiping Island on Tuesday to reaffirm Taiwan’s sovereignty over the largest naturally formed island in the Spratly Islands. “As President Tsai Ing-wen said during the July 19 national security council meeting, the ROC [Republic of China or Taiwan] remains steadfast on its position that the…
-
China pledges to cut size of its massive fishing fleet due to serious threat to nation’s fish stocks
Overfishing in Chinese rivers and seas has seriously depleted stocks and the government is to cut the size of the nation’s fishing fleet, the agricultural ministry said. A well-known fishermen in Tanmen, Hainan province, said local fishermen have been told not to increase their fleet while counterparts in other provinces have been told to cut the number of ships by…
-
China, Philippines Consider Joint Fishing Rights In Scarborough Shoal During South China Sea Talks
Making the resource-rich Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea open to fisherman from both Beijing and Manila could help reduce the growing tensions between the two nations brought about by maritime territorial dispute. This was the statement of Wu Schicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, after talks with Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos, Manila’s…
-
If China builds in Scarborough Shoal, it would come ‘after G20 summit’
China will not carry out any reclamation work in the Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea before hosting the G20 summit next month, but it might begin construction before the US presidential election in November, a source familiar with the matter said. Beijing would also avoid taking any provocative action in the shoal right now given the Philippines…
-
Behind Indonesia’s ambivalence in the South China Sea
The push of domestic politics With so much at stake why does Indonesia’s policy position on the South China Sea seem so ambivalent? Muhamad Arif looks at the domestic factors in play. Under President Joko Widodo – commonly known as Jokowi – Indonesian foreign and security policy has been notable for its ambivalence when it comes to dealing with the…
-
China’s $15 Billion Energy Ambitions Crushed Within Two Weeks
China’s infrastructure investors have had a tough two weeks, with plugs being pulled on at least $15 billion of potential deals in nuclear power and electricity distribution. Britain and Australia refused to sign off on investments where state-owned Chinese companies were ready to provide much-needed funding. In both cases, the long-term utility programs were halted in the later stages, stunning…
-
Why the South China Sea is on the Verge of an Environmental Disaster
Of all the “strategic” challenges confronting the Asia-Pacific region, none is as underrated as the destruction of the marine ecosystem. The South China Sea’s status as a critical waterway draws attention away from the fact that littoral Southeast Asia is one of the world’s most diverse global marine bio-systems, hosting 76 percent of the world’s coral species and 37 percent…