Diplomatic Relations
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To Counter Beijing, Japan Moves Closer to Taiwan
A report from Kyodo News International says that lawmakers from Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are trying to create a Japanese version of the Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. law that governs Washington’s relations with Taipei. Japan does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but the proposed law would seek to formalize the current unofficial […]
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China’s “Nine-Dash Line” is Dangerous
As noted last week, the U.S. has lodged its objection to China’s “nine-dash-line” claim to the South China Sea. It is right to do so for two reasons. First, in contrast to what China claims, the U.S. clearly stating its position on the conflict will reduce the chance that the U.S. and China will come […]
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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 urges int’l alert for Japanese comments
BEIJING, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) — China on Wednesday urged the international community to be on alert for any comments which attempt to vindicate Japan’s invasion history and challenge post-war world order. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying’s comments came in response to a question regarding recent Japanese comments. Chairman of Japan’s public broadcaster NHK Katsuto […]
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Tensions Set To Rise In The South China Sea
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, China, Diplomatic Relations, Malaysia, Militarization, Naval Exercises, Naval Stockpiling, Office of Naval Intelligence, Paracel Islands, South China Sea Dispute, USAOver the last month and a half, seven significant developments indicate that tensions in the South China Sea are set to rise in both the short and long term. The five short-term trends include: Philippine defiance of China’s fishing ban; continued inaction by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN); the Chinese navy’s repeated assertions […]
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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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China, US promote ‘new model’ ties to avoid conflict
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, China, Code of Conduct, Diaoyu, Diplomatic Relations, John Kerry, Naval Stockpiling, Philippines, Senkaku, South China Sea Dispute, Theucedides’ Trap, USAAs US Secretary of State John Kerry held talks with Chinese leaders, state media blamed Washington for failing to calm “flaring regional tensions” in East Asia. Many US and Asian observers point the finger at China’s rapid military modernisation and increasing assertiveness. But the official Xinhua news agency said Kerry’s visit took place “amid formidable […]
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South China Sea dispute remains top priority for Washington
Recent talks between visiting US secretary of state John Kerry and Chinese leaders indicate that tensions in the South China Sea remain the top China issue for Washington, reports Duowei News, an outlet run by overseas Chinese. Kerry arrived in Beijing on Friday and met separately with Chinese president Xi Jinping and premier Li Keqiang. […]
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Of Course China Wants to Replace the U.S.
Over at The Week, Think Progress’s Zack Beauchamp has a provocative piece arguing that “China is not replacing the United States as the global hegemon. And it never will.” Specifically, Beauchamp posits that “China faces too many internal problems and regional rivals to ever make a real play for global leadership. And even if Beijing […]
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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 […]