History
-
Everything you need to know about the South China Sea conflict – in under five minutes
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, Artificial Islands, China, Facts, History, Militarization, Military Conflict, Philippines, Reclamation, Regular Patrols, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, USA1. Whose South China Sea is it, anyway? China’s claim to the South China Sea is based in history, dating back to records from the Xia and Han dynasties. China delineates its claims via the nine-dash line, which Chiang Kai Shek advanced in 1947. During China’s republican era, China surveyed, mapped and named 291 islands […]
-
Mother of all PH maps coming home
New personal directions Acquiring the map then became as much a personal goal as it was a business decision. “I’m in the technology business … and I endlessly admire the collaboration of skills and technology between Father Murillo Velarde and his team,” Velarde said. He added: “At 50, I think the Murillo Velarde map revealed […]
-
China’s “historical evidence” worthless to international law
China may show ‘evidence’ that Chinese sailors used to be present in the East Sea (South China Sea in international name), but according to international law, that does not prove its ownership. In the perspective of China, the country with many plans to turn the East Sea into its own pond, Mr. Li Guoqiang, a […]
-
China is on the wrong side of history
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, Artificial Islands, China, History, Militarization, Military Conflict, Philippines, Reclamation, Regular Patrols, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, USAThey say history is a great teacher — but only to those who are willing to learn. China’s continuing bullheadedness in building artificial islands in the disputed maritime territories in the South China Sea is growing more and more reminiscent of Adolf Hitler’s maneuvers before the outbreak of World War II, moving into Czechoslovakia on […]
-
China’s South China Sea claims are not supported by its own historical records
Is China starting down a path similar to that followed by Japan and Germany before 1945, when nationalism backed by new economic clout led to overconfidence and adventures which eventually proved disastrous? The question needs asking in the context of China’s latest moves ultimately aimed at making the South China Sea into a Chinese lake. […]
-
West Philippine Sea: Are we running out of options?
For decades, China’s foreign policy has been shaped and guided by Deng Xiaoping’s – the late Chinese paramount leader, who was responsible for opening up the country to forces of globalization – famous dictum: “Hide your strength, bide your time.” Recognizing the imperative of national development, after decades of disastrous policies under the megalomaniac Mao […]
-
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, […]
-
Tiny islands key to ownership of South China Sea
Airstrips, Artificial Islands, China, History, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, USAIn response, China says it’s “severely concerned” about the South East Asian nations’ statement. South East Asia says China’s actions have “eroded trust and confidence and may undermine peace, security and stability”. China retorts that what it’s doing is “entirely legal and shouldn’t be questioned”. Are the gloves coming off in the South China Sea […]
-
Why China’s island building is so foreboding
Airstrips, Artificial Islands, China, History, Maps, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysOver the past six months, China has gotten a little bit bigger. China’s expansion, which has amounted to less than two square miles of new land, is making waves not for how big it is, but where it is. Chinese engineers, with the help of barges and dredging machines, have been enlarging tiny reefs, sand […]
-
ARCHEOLOGY AND PATRIOTISM: LONG TERM CHINESE STRATEGIES IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA
Abstract : Several authors writing about the Chinese claim to the Paracel Islands have dated the first official Chinese expedition to these islands to 1902. However, none of these writers have been able to show any records of this expedition taking place. In fact, Chinese records show that the expedition never happened. Instead, a secret […]