West Philippine Sea
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The South China Sea and the Times Square squad car
Sending the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and its escorts into the South China Sea is an apparent shift from the Obama administration’s policies of “de-escalation” and accommodation towards the People’s Republic of China. Obama prohibited such Freedom of Navigation Operations — known in military acronym as FONOPS — in the South China Sea from […]
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‘Black Holes’ in the South China Sea: Vietnam Commissions 2 New Attack Submarines
The Vietnam People’s Navy (VPN) held a flag raising ceremony for two new Russian-made Project 636M (improved Kilo-class) diesel electric attack submarines at Cam Ranh naval base in Vietnam’s south central coastal Khanh Hoa province on February 28, Vietnam’s Ministry of Defense reports in a press release. The two submarines — Da Nang and Ba […]
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Vietnam slams Chinese fishing ban in South China Sea
HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam has slammed a fishing ban China has imposed in parts of the disputed South China Sea, saying it violates Vietnamese sovereignty and further complicates the tense situation in the troubled waters. China’s Ministry of Agriculture on Monday issued a seasonal fishing ban in parts of the South China Sea, including waters […]
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China Wants to Turn Water Into Territory in the South China Sea (and Beyond)
China’s longstanding campaign to redefine water as territory—territory where the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) fiat is law—proceeds apace. Lovers of maritime freedom must reject this campaign in all its forms. In other words, all nations that use the world’s oceans and seas to transact diplomacy, trade and commerce, and martial enterprises must rally against it. […]
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PH, China agree to further advance maritime cooperation
THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the China Coast Guard (CCG) have agreed to further strengthen the two countries’ maritime cooperation amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea. In its official website, the PCG said both sides have agreed to cooperate in the sectors of preventing and combating drug trafficking and other transnational crimes; […]
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China’s Big Missile Defense Move in the South China Sea: A Game Changer?
Satellite imagery appears to confirm that China has nearly completed construction of new fortification that could be used to house advanced surface-to-air missiles batteries such as the HQ-9. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, the fortifications are being built on Fiery Cross, Mischief and Subi Reefs. “Eight […]
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Report: China Nears Completion of Militarizing Island Chain
WASHINGTON — China is almost finished building military structures on its artificial islands in the South China Sea (SCS), Reuters reports, in a development that is sure to test the new Trump administration. Unnamed U.S. officials told the news service construction is almost complete on nearly two dozen structures with retractable roofs designed to house […]
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U.S. Flexes Its Military Muscle Off China
As China flexes its military muscle in the South China Sea, the U.S. is responding with its own show of force that includes ships, fighter jets and submarines, as well as the test launch of nuclear-capable missiles. According to internal military reports reviewed by NBC News, almost every week brings another display of U.S. hardware […]
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Beijing cements South China Sea land grab with missile defense sites while the world awaits US response
New satellite photography from the South China Sea confirms a nightmare for the US and champions of free navigation everywhere — Beijing has reinforced surface-to-air missiles sites in the Spratly Islands. For years now, China has been building artificial islands in the South China Sea and militarizing them with radar outposts and missiles. The latest […]
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China continues to militarize South China Sea—experts
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Recent satellite imagery appears to show China is completing structures intended to house surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) on a series of artificial islands in the South China Sea, a Washington think-tank said Thursday. According to images published by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, the structures are being installed on Fiery Cross Reef, Mischief Reef […]