China
-
Dispute over the South China Sea could put East Asia at war again
Arms Buildup, Artificial Islands, Brunei, China, Fishing Rights, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Militarizaiton, Oil, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, USA, Vietnam, WarPhilippine authorities have released satellite pictures of six reefs in the Spratly archipelago that indicate that the Chinese are building artificial structures in the disputed territories of the South China Sea. According to some observers, these features could allow China to extend the range of its navy, air force, coastguard and fishing fleets into the disputed areas. In response, the…
-
China’s island-building spree is about more than just military might
Aritificial Islands, China, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, Unsinkable Aircraft CarriersChina’s playing Monopoly in the South China Sea—only, instead of building hotels on Pacific Avenue, it’s constructing helipads and, in some cases, whole new islands. In less than a year, shallow reefs in the Spratly Islands have sprouted white-sand outcrops, sporting what look to be Chinese military facilities, according to satellite imagery published this week by IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly, a consulting company. The…
-
This is Japan’s Best Strategy to Defeat China at Sea
The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) is a highly capable navy, although it is the smallest of Japan’s military branches. It is technologically more advanced, more experienced, and more highly trained than its main competitor – the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). Yet, in the long-run, the JMSDF and the Japanese Coast Guard (JCG) – Tokyo’s principle enforcer of maritime law –…
-
South China Sea Manoeuvrings: More of the same in 2015?
Analysis, Artificial Islands, Brunei, China, expert analysis, IMOA, International Law, Maritime Disputes, maritime issues, Maritime Security, MIMA, Philippines, Reclamation, Regional Stability, South China Sea Dispute, Sovereignty, VietnamRead Sumathy Permal’s expert commentary on maritime issues, published by the Centre for Maritime Security and Diplomacy, MIMA. Explore perspectives on sovereignty, security, and international maritime law.
-
China Nixes South China Sea Discussions at Defense Meeting
According to a report from IHS Jane’s, China’s delegation is refusing to allow the South China Sea issue to be put on the agenda for an upcoming defense minister’s meeting. Specifically, Jane’s reports that China “declined the proposal by ASEAN countries to have the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the Code of…
-
China Expands Island Construction in Disputed South China Sea
Artificial Islands, China, Hughes Reef, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, South Johnson Reef, Unsinkable Aircraft CarriersBEIJING—Newly released satellite images show a dramatic expansion in China’s construction of artificial islands on disputed South China Sea reefs, intensifying concerns about Beijing’s territorial ambitions. The images provide the first visual evidence that China has built an artificial island covering 75,000 square yards—about 14 football fields—and including two piers, a cement plant and a helipad, at a land formation…
-
Reefer Madness: Why Is China on a Building Spree in the South China Sea?
Artificial Islands, China, Fishing Rights, Militarization, Oil, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, USAChina’s frantic construction activity on a series of disputed reefs in the South China Sea has set off alarm bells across the Pacific and in Washington, raising fears that Beijing is putting steel in the ground to back up its contentious claims to a big swath of one of the world’s key waterways. Since last summer, China has been busy…
-
Mischief Reef, Fiery Cross Reef, Johnson South Reef, Cuarteron Reef, Hughes Reef, and Gaven Reef
Artificial Islands, China, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, Unsinkable Aircraft CarrierNotwithstanding the protest by smaller Asian nations over the swift pace that China has been constructing facilities in disputed islands in the South China Sea, Beijing again flexed its military muscle by claiming a seventh reef. The news of another China claim comes from the Philippines, one of the Southeast Asian nations that is contesting ownership of the group of…
-
Philippines Skeptical of China’s Reclamation Work in Contested Sea
ADIZ, Albert del Rosario, Artificial Islands, China, Militarization, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysMANILA— The Philippines is expressing “serious concern” over newly released satellite images that show major progress in China’s reclamation work at contested outcroppings in the South China Sea. The latest images published by IHS Jane’s Defense Weekly show “a large facility” in the works at Johnson South Reef. In May 2014, the Philippine military reported a Chinese construction ship was…