Australia
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41 Years in the Making: Why China’s South China Sea Plan Will Fail
Analysis, Artificial Islands, ASEAN, Australia, China, History, Indonesia, Malaysia, Natuna, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, USA, VietnamWhile China’s recent assertiveness in the South China Sea might shock and surprise today’s observers, its behavior has actually been remarkably consistent over recent decades. China first exercised its power in the region in January 1974 when it ejected South Vietnam from the Crescent Islands. In March 1988, the Chinese Navy clashed with Vietnamese vessels, […]
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S China Sea islands could be China’s first island chain: report
Airstrips, Artificial Islands, Australia, China, Japan, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, USAChina’s land reclamation efforts in the disputed South China Sea may eventually become the nation’s first island chain, allowing the nation to contain the US military facilities in Australia according to the Japan Military Review, a defense magazine based in Tokyo. Saburo Tanaka, a Japanese expert in Chinese military development said that the US bases […]
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China’s Big Course Correction in the South China Sea?
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, Australia, China, East China Sea, Japan, South China Sea DisputeAfter many months of taking increasingly bold actions at the expense of its neighbors in East Asia, there are recent indications that Beijing may be adopting more conciliatory policies. China has unexpectedly removed a controversial oil-drilling rig that it had deployed in waters near Vietnam. In late June, Chinese president Xi Jinping conducted a high-profile […]
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Over the past few years, China has steadily increased its assertiveness in the South China Sea. Its most recent claim to fishing rights over most of this territory has given other countries in the region cause to worry that China may soon try to implement an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) across the South China […]
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China’s rebuke of Julie Bishop ‘rudest’ conduct seen in 30 years, says senior foreign affairs official
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in December last year. The Chinese minister critised Ms Bishop over her handling of China’s air defence in the East China Sea. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in December last year. The Chinese minister critised Ms Bishop over her handling […]
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Troubled Waters: Indonesia’s Growing Maritime Disputes
Indonesia has had a rocky couple of weeks in its relations with its neighbors. While Ted Piccone and Bimo Yusman wrote last week about Indonesia’s decade of qualified diplomatic successes, in a series of separate and mostly unrelated naval developments the archipelagic nation has in turn aggrieved, or been aggrieved by, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, […]
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China’s naval exercise: Jakarta Post story raises new questions
China’s Indo-Pacific naval exercise, which I first analysed in this post, is continuing to make waves, with David Wroe of the Sydney Morning Herald providing this good wrap-up on the implications for Australia. But what are we to make of the latest twist being reported in the Jakarta Post? The report quotes an Indonesian military […]
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Australia Startled by Chinese Naval Excursion
The Australian public is being reminded of Indonesia’s importance to the country’s foreign and defence policy—past, present and future. Last Thursday, many Australian viewers switched their televisions over to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in an attempt to escape from the media frenzy surrounding the release of Australian citizen Schapelle Corby from prison in Indonesia. They found […]