West Philippine Sea
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South China Sea dispute: Chinese incursion puts Philippines on the spot
China has dispatched armed coastguard vessels to accompany fishing trawlers into disputed waters around a strategic island chain claimed by Indonesia, which has responded by sending warships to the area. Although the naval vessels and fighter jets deployed by Jakarta to the Natuna islands initially appeared to have repulsed the incursion, several Chinese boats […]
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Are China’s South China Sea Artificial Islands Militarily Significant and Useful?
China’s artificial islands are a symbol of its revisionism in the South China Sea, but they’re also militarily significant. Are China’s seven artificial islands in the Spratly Group in the South China Sea liable to complicate U.S. freedom of maneuver in a conflict in East Asia? In a recent article at War on the […]
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How Indonesia stared down China in South China Sea
Although known to be fiercely nationalistic, Indonesia’s diminutive Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi hardly looks the part of a “bad cop.” But that was the role she was apparently called on to play in Indonesia’s recent stand-off with China in sovereign waters north of the Natuna Islands. The hard line taken by Marsudi, chief political […]
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South China Sea: Putin moves to support the Philippines and Vietnam against Beijing’s plan
RUSSIA has been invited by the Philippines to explore for oil in a vast area of the South China Sea claimed by Beijing. The development will frustrate China’s attempts to secure ownership of the lucrative zone within its nine dash line, the proportion of the sea bed that Beijing has allocated for itself. In October […]
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Beijing and Manila need more than coastguard diplomacy to fix South China Sea problems
This week’s first-ever visit by a Chinese coastguard ship to Manila can be seen as a milestone in confidence building between two key claimants in theSouth China Sea came to power, the Philippines and China have done much work on their coastguard diplomacy, establishing a two-way consultation mechanism that has convened five times in […]
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Chinese delegates cut South China Sea references from resolution
Chinese delegates at an international summit in Canberra have successfully removed references to the disputed South China Sea in a resolution promoting freedom of navigation in the region. The wording was this week watered down in negotiations at Parliament House, where more than 300 representatives from about 30 countries gathered for the 28th Asia-Pacific […]
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Militia fishing ships ‘not on agenda’ as Chinese coastguard visits Philippines
The first Chinese coastguard ship ever to visit the Philippines was officially welcomed on Tuesday, as Manila called on Beijing to discuss ways of ensuring the safety of both countries’ fishermen at sea. The controversial visit, which is being led by Commandant General Wang Zhongca and lasts until Friday, comes amid growing anger in […]
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LOOK: China Coast Guard arrives in Manila for ‘historic’ talks
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard on Tuesday came out in force to welcome the China Coast Guard, as it laid anchor in Manila. CCG director-general Maj. Gen. Wang Zhongcai was accorded arrival honors at the PCG headquarters, which was followed by a welcome ceremony for the visiting ship at the nearby Pier […]
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OPINION: In the South China Sea, ASEAN needs to stand united
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are the 2 biggest threats to global peace today. They’re both bullies—terrorizing their respective “schoolyards”—Latin America as well as the Middle East for Trump and Southeast Asia for Xi Jinping. Trump’s ignorance, malevolence and bigotry has always been there to see. It’s easy to dismiss his adventurism and bravado […]
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Territorial tussle over South China Sea
Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic nation. Encompassing much of the Malay archipelago, Indonesia has its share of maritime claims on the South China Sea within the area of the Natuna Islands. Indonesia has yet to resolve issues involving maritime boundary disputes with some of its neighbors, including Vietnam, Malaysia and China. In April […]