West Philippine Sea
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Growing Muscle: China’s Neighbors Gear Up for a Fight
China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Militarization, Modernization, Phiippines, South China Sea Dispute, Taiwan, VietnamTAIPEI — The Asia-Pacific naval market is heating up, with massive quantities of new ships to boost regional navies in coming years. According to AMI International, a US-based naval analysis firm, Asia-Pacific has already surpassed Europe as the world’s second largest naval market. AMI projects the region will spend $200 billion on new ships and […]
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China Mixing Military Modernization, ‘Tailored Coercion’
TAIPEI — China’s military modernization efforts over the past 20 years have been marked by broad efforts, according to an expert, as opposed to focusing on specific services. “So, we see new naval forces, air forces, ground forces and missile forces,” said Dean Cheng, a China military specialist at the Heritage Foundation. That level of […]
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Tighter Budgets Limit Southeast Asian Plans
China, Indonesia, Militarization, Modernization, Philippines, Singapore, South China Sea Dispute, Taiwan, VietnamTAIPEI — In much of Southeast Asia, budgets are smaller and ambitions more limited compared with neighbors to the north, and many countries are trying to rid themselves of much older equipment. But Singapore and Vietnam are generally better equipped and have more extensive plans. Malaysia: Shifting Plans Tight budgets are forcing Kuala Lumpur to […]
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US helped PH Navy in Ayungin mission
Ayungin Shoal, BRP Sierra Madre, China, Military Presence, Mutual Defense, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, USAMANILA, Philippines – The US assisted the Philippine Navy in the tense mission to rotate troops trapped for 5 months in the disputed Ayungin Shoal following China’s “blockade,” Philippine Ambassador to US Jose Cuisia Jr. said Friday, April 11. (READ: China harasses ship before pleading day and Ayungin trip ‘betrays’ PH intent) “I don’t specifically […]
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Kishida: Japan backs Philippine lawsuit
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida has told his Philippine counterpart that Japan supports a case that the Philippines filed against China over a territorial dispute in the South China Sea, according to sources. Kishida held talks with Albert del Rosario on Friday during his visit to Hiroshima to attend a foreign ministers’ meeting for the Nonproliferation […]
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China’s maritime space being carved up: official
China is facing serious challenges to its maritime rights, with its resources being plundered and seas carved up, a senior oceanic official said Friday. Some islands have been encroached on and the security of strategic thoroughfares is threatened. Various conflicts have occurred in China’s waters, said Liu Cigui, director of the State Oceanic Administration (SOA), […]
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FISHER: Shades of Berlin in the South China Sea
Dictatorial regimes are subjecting the democratic West to two spectacles of weakness: the seeming inability to counter Russian aggression in Ukraine and to counter China’s aggression in the South China Sea. In both cases, a failure to respond will only invite a greater challenge and the specter of war. While the Obama administration and our […]
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Two Rival Nations Will Send Their Navies to a Disputed Island in June — For a Beach Party
Well, this is certainly a fun way to protest territorial aggression. This week, Vietnam and the Philippines announced that their navies will hold a party on a South China Sea island in June. Sailors from the two countries are planning on getting together to drink some beer, listen to music, play volleyball and shoot the breeze. […]
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The Key to South China Sea Peace Is Apparently a Secret
China’s “nine-dash line,” it seems, now extends to the Dong Yu Grand Ballroom C, one of the main venues at the Boao Forum for Asia. The interrupted line drawn on Chinese maps marks its claim to virtually the entire South China Sea. China has been more aggressively trying to assert its control over the area, […]
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Philippines tests rule of law
Arbitration, Ayungin Shoal, BRP Sierra Madre, China, Malaysia, Memorial, Nine Dash Line, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, UNCLOS, USAOn March 30, the Philippines submitted a memorial detailing its arguments and evidence against China’s nine-dash line and other aspects of Beijing’s South China Sea claims to an arbitration tribunal at The Hague. The 10-volume, nearly 4,000-page document marks a bold step by Manila, and one that Beijing seems to have believed never would actually […]