China
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UNCLOS on Trial in the South China Sea
The latest installation of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative covers several recent developments in the region, including China and Japan’s progress towards an East China Sea crisis mechanism, Japan’s new record defense budget, and Taiwan’s decision to delay development work on Itu Aba island, following the revelation that a Chinese vessel was involved in the construction. This issue’s analysis, however,…
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Vietnam joins Philippines in war of words against China island building
Vietnam has joined the Philippines in condemning China’s attempts to build islands in the East Sea in what analysts say could be yet another futile verbal effort to stop Beijing. “Vietnam resolutely opposes China’s illegal construction projects that jeopardize the status quo on the Truong Sa Archipelago,” Pham Thu Hang, deputy foreign ministry spokeswoman, said at a press briefing Thursday,…
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China expands construction work in disputed Spratly waters
Beijing appears to have made steady advances in the construction of port and other facilities in disputed waters in the South China Sea, according to photographs obtained by The Asahi Shimbun. The aerial photos of the area were taken in October. The Philippines and Vietnam also lay claim to much of the potentially resource-rich Spratly archipelago. One of the photos…
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Imagery shows heliport on China’s Nanji Islands
Airstrips, Artificial Islands, China, East China Sea, Japan, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Unsinkable Aircraft CarrierSatellite imagery analysis by IHS Jane’s has confirmed that China is building a military base on islands 300 km away from the dispute Senkaku/Diaoyu islands. The imagery, captured on 13 October 2014 by Airbus Defence and Space’s Pleaides satellite, shows a heliport with 10 landing pads in the centre of Nanji Island, one of a group of islands that are…
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South China Sea in 2015: Fears of war
Accidental War, China, Diplomatic Affairs, Oil Rig, Paracels, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, Vietam, WarIs war over the festering South China Sea (SCS) maritime dispute between China and the Southeast Asian claimants of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam inevitable in 2015? China’s rising assertiveness, the firmness of claimants like the Philippines and Vietnam and the big powers’ interest in the region, have led to fears that tensions might escalate into armed conflict…
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PHL mending ties with China but won’t drop arbitration case
The Philippines is taking steps to mend its relations with China, but emphasized that it will not drop its arbitration case against Beijing, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said on Thursday. Relations between the two Asian neighbors plunged to its lowest when the Philippines sought arbitration in January 2013 to try to declare as illegal China’s massive claim over the…
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Asean should resolve problem of overlapping claims in the South China Sea
Manila: All ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and China must work together to reduce tension due to the overlapping claims in the South China Sea, an American official said, adding the US and all other countries in the world want to remain as neutral referees who aim to end tension in the region’s possible flashpoint.…
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East Sea: Are artificial islands more dangerous than oil rigs?
Airstrips, Artificial Islands, ASEAN, China, Code of Conduct, Oil Rigs, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Disute, Unsinkable Aircraft CarrierChina’s East Sea policy has a clear delineation between short term and long term. The strategy to maintain a continuous presence in the undisputed waters to gradually turn them into disputed areas has been resolutely pursued by Beijing. The 981 oil rig incident is a typical example. China used this oil rig as a “mobile sovereignty landmark ” to maintain…
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Japan Record Defense Budget Aims At Curbing China Threat
Military Spending: In the face of an expansionist China seeking to dominate the East and South China Seas, Tokyo has set its largest defense budget ever to help defend islands that it rightfully considers Japanese territory. As its military, economy and ambitions grow, so too does China’s assertiveness about control of the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the…