West Philippine Sea
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Marine scientists say Chinese island reclamation is destroying coral reefs in South China Sea
Artificial Islands, China, Ecology, Environment, Environmental Impact, Fishing, Food Seurity, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysELEANOR HALL: Scientists from the United States and the Philippines have accused the Chinese Government of destroying coral reefs and fishing grounds with its reclamation program in the South China Sea. Beijing has intensified its dredging and construction on the disputed Spratly Islands in what many see as a challenge to US power in the […]
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Is the US advocating a ‘two-state theory’ in South China Sea?
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, Artificial Islands, China, Militarization, Military Conflict, Reclamation, Regular Patrols, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, USAThe US secretary of defense, Ashton Carter, has said the US will continue to patrol the South China Sea and fly across the Spratly reefs occupied by China as international waters. It’s clear that the US has determined to push for the “two-state theory” in the region. The US has always tried to avoid touching […]
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No, China Is Not Reclaiming Land in the South China Sea
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, Artificial Islands, China, Militarization, Military Conflict, Philippines, Reclamation, Regular Patrols, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, USAEver since last year when satellite imagery confirmed that China was constructing artificial islands in the South China Sea, journalists, security specialists and even government officials uncritically have adopted terminology that obfuscates rather than clarifies the issues at stake. No term has been so abused as “land reclamation” both in its everyday usage and legal […]
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Mother of all PH maps coming home
New personal directions Acquiring the map then became as much a personal goal as it was a business decision. “I’m in the technology business … and I endlessly admire the collaboration of skills and technology between Father Murillo Velarde and his team,” Velarde said. He added: “At 50, I think the Murillo Velarde map revealed […]
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G7 to express concern over East, South China Sea
TOKYO – Group of Seven leaders will express their concern over any unilateral action to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas amid tensions between China and a number of Asian countries, Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper said on Saturday. At the end of the summit in Germany, which starts on Sunday, members […]
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South China Sea: listening is more than what we want to hear
It begins with a bit of a chuckle. “Almost a full front row here. Banner day,” chirps Marie Harf, spokeswoman for American diplomacy. Harf is presiding at the podium for what is a weekday ritual at the US State Department, a question-and-answer session for reporters that presents the official view of the world as seen […]
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China’s White Paper: Implications for Southeast Asia
China released its first white paper on military strategy at the end of last month. Issued by the State Council Information Office, the white paper outlines China’s strategy of “active defense,” and highlights four critical security domains: the ocean, outer space, cyberspace, and nuclear forces. For the states of Southeast Asia, China’s outlined military strategy […]
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For some Filipino fishermen, the South China Sea dispute is personal
MASINLOC, Philippines — When nations duel over reefs, rocks and islets, people are going to get hurt, and in the South China Sea dispute, that means the fishermen here who once wrested a living from the contested waters. Gunmen in a Chinese speedboat drove Macario Forones, for instance, away from a favorite spot called Scarborough […]
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The Big Story Behind China’s New Military Strategy
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, Artificial Islands, China, Militarization, Military Conflict, Philippines, Reclamation, Regular Patrols, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, USAAs China reemerges as one of the globe’s leading powers, just what type of actor it will be on the world stage has become a subject of intense debate among China watchers and the broader public. With tensions rising to what one eminent China scholar has called a “tipping point” in U.S.-China relations, the Chinese […]
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The Real Danger in the South China Sea
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, Artificial Islands, China, Militarization, Military Conflict, Philippines, Reclamation, Regular Patrols, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, USAWashington has made its point loud and clear in the South China Sea. But it is likely to be lost on Beijing. “There should be no mistake: the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows,” Defense Secretary Ashton Carter declared at a late May gathering of Asia Pacific’s top defense officials in Singapore. […]