ASEAN
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Beijing hints it may stop activities in South China Sea if Manila drops arbitration
NAYPYIDAW — China would be willing to halt its activities in disputed areas in the South China Sea if the Philippines backs out of international arbitration it initiated last year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday. Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario proposed at a regional security summit here what he termed a […]
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Strategic withdrawal: China’s naval policy and the HY SY-981 fiasco
The South China Sea dispute is a contentious issue in the Asia-Pacific region characterised by periodic escalations of tensions, sabre rattling, and often armed conflict. The most recent escalation of tensions occurred as a result of the China National Petroleum Company’s (CNPC) unilateral decision to drill two exploratory oil wells in waters contested by Vietnam […]
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Manila urges unity for South East Asian nations in China sea dispute
(Reuters) – The Philippines is pushing for a meeting among four Southeast Asian nations with conflicting claims to waters in the South China Sea so that they can hammer out a common stand in dealings with China, Manila’s foreign minister said on Friday. Manila is waging a territorial dispute with China over the Spratlys and […]
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China tells U.S. to stay out of South China Seas dispute
BEIJING (Reuters) – China told the United States on Tuesday to stay out of disputes over the South China Sea and leave countries in the region to resolve problems themselves, after Washington said it wanted a freeze on stoking tension. Michael Fuchs, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Strategy and Multilateral Affairs, said no […]
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Taiwan renews call for peaceful resolution of South China Sea disputes
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday reaffirmed their sovereignty over four island groups in the South China Sea, while urging neighboring countries and territories involved in territorial disputes in the area to resolve their differences through dialogue and negotiation. From the perspective of history, geography and international law, the Spratly Islands, as well as […]
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How South Asia Resolves Maritime Disputes
As Ankit noted earlier today, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruled on the maritime dispute between India and Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal this week. According to news reports, the court awarded 19,467 square kilometers (7,516 square miles) of a total disputed area of 25,602 km to Bangladesh. More importantly, both countries […]
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Indonesia: A Bigger Role in the South China Sea?
Sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea are at the heart of increasing tensions in Southeast Asia. In early May, the dispatch of a Chinese oil rig in disputed waters and the subsequent standoff with Vietnam had the effect of centralizing global attention on the confrontation between China and some of its ASEAN neighbors. Although […]
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PH becoming a thorn in China’s side
MANILA, Philippines–Who would have thought that the tiny Philippines would be a thorn in the side of giant China? Magdalo Rep. Francisco Ashley Acedillo said the Philippines’ geographic location is in the way of China’s defense strategy in the Asia-Pacific region, giving its ally, the United States, a base from which to counter China. “Our […]
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UNCLOS signatory states asked anew to respect treaty
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines has reiterated its call for signatory states to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including China, to respect the treaty amid rising tensions in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). The government made the appeal during the 24th meeting of state parties to […]
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China rejects Phl call for construction ban in disputed sea
BEIJING — China rejected a suggestion by the Philippines for a regionwide ban on construction in the South China Sea after Beijing began building a school on a rugged outpost it created to strengthen its claims to disputed waters. Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said he will propose that the Association of Southeast Asian […]