West Philippine Sea
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China flies nuclear-capable bomber in South China Sea after Trump Taiwan call, US officials say
Officials: China flew nuclear-capable bombers around Taiwan China flew a long-range nuclear-capable bomber outside China for the first time since President-elect Donald Trump spoke with the president of Taiwan, two US officials told Fox News. The dramatic show of force was meant to send a message to the new administration, according to the officials. It […]
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Maritime Security Analysis: Waters rage in South China Sea (Part 1)
On 12 July the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), at The Hague, handed down a landmark decision in a case the Philippines had brought against China in 2013 regarding Beijing’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea. Many were stunned by the comprehensive nature of the PCA’s verdict in Manila’s favour. Indeed, the decision […]
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China Again Argues That Paving Over South China Sea With Runways Is A Good Idea
China defended its massive military construction and development projects in the disputed South China Sea Wednesday. “China’s construction in the South China Sea has turned its islands into the best-equipped, most advanced bases in the region with airports, hospitals, agriculture and 4G mobile signal,” the Global Times argued, citing a Chinese military publication. The South […]
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Is the United States Really a Pacific Power?
Washington has failed to demonstrate that it has the stomach to remain a resident power in Asia. Recognizing the geostrategic significance of Asia for the twenty-first century, President Obama told an Australian Parliament in 2011, “The United States is a Pacific power and we are here to stay.” But with U.S. membership in the Trans-Pacific […]
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Exclusive: Risking Beijing’s ire, Vietnam begins dredging on South China Sea reef
By Lincoln Feast and Greg Torode | SYDNEY/HONG KONG Vietnam has begun dredging work on a disputed reef in the South China Sea, satellite imagery shows, the latest move by the Communist state to bolster its claims in the strategic waterway. Activity visible on Ladd Reef in the Spratly Islands could anger Hanoi’s main South […]
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The Danger of the Gray Zone: Flawed Responses to Emerging Unconventional Threats
In the South China Sea, islands able to sustain PLA military operations have been constructed from what previously had been strips of sand or small atolls while Chinese naval militias harass commercial fishing fleets. In Crimea and eastern Ukraine, soldiers lacking national attribution have assisted local forces demanding changes in political boundaries. Russian and Chinese […]
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Philippine Marine Sanctuary in Disputed Sea Risks Upsetting China
TAIPEI — A marine sanctuary proposed by the Philippine president inside a contested South China Sea shoal risks upsetting rival claimant China despite an ecological mission and a recent thaw in relations with the Asian superpower. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte told local media in late November he planned to issue an executive order declaring the […]
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America And China’s Military Beef Over The South China Sea, Explained
President-elect Donald Trump’s unprecedented phone call with Taiwan’s newly-elected president Tsai Ing-wen has a lot to do with Washington’s often complicated military tensions with Beijing. Why? The South China Sea, a disputed swath of ocean of which China claims a majority of territory. It is true, as Trump mentioned in his tweet, that America sells […]
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South China Sea maritime diplomacy hurts Filipino fishermen
The Scarborough Shoal has been declared a marine sanctuary by Philippine President Duterte. Touted as a solution for territorial tensions, does the move play into Chinese interests? Ana P. Santos reports from Manila. Konflikt China Philippinen – Fischerboote nördlich von Manila (Ted Aljibe/AFP/GettyImages) At the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) summit in Peru last month, Philippine […]
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Settlement: Trump Administration Must Study Environmental Risks Before Approving Deep-sea Mining
WASHINGTON— Before the Trump administration approves any deep-sea mining projects it must conduct an in-depth analysis of the risks to wildlife and underwater ecosystems, according to a legal settlement filed today in response to a Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit. The Center sued the federal government in 2015 over its approval of exploratory permits for […]