Philippines
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PH’s arbitration case vs China shows options in sea row
MANILA, Philippines – By turning to international arbitration to define its maritime entitlements in the South China Sea, Manila has shown there are options to resolve territorial disputes other than lopsided negotiations where mighty nations lord over small ones. Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Cuisia Jr. voiced the observation in a speech during […]
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Int’l law the great equalizer in dispute resolution: PH envoy
MANILA – International law will be the “great equalizer” in the Philippines’ ongoing territorial row with China, a Philippine envoy said during a reception. Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia said the country’s move to seek arbitration before an international tribunal underscores its desire to define its maritime entitlements in the South […]
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Why reduced South China Sea tension is possible in 2015
MANILA, Philippines — The long-standing rivalry over maritime zones in the South China Sea will not be settled but may simmer down this year, analysts say. Robert Farley, professor at University of Kentucky’s Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, believes that the import-oriented trend in the oil industry can affect how rival claimants China […]
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Maginot Line in the South China Sea
Airstrips, Artificial Islands, China, Maginot Line, Militarization, Paracels, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysThe Maginot Line was a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles, and weapons installations that France constructed just before the border with Switzerland and the borders with Germany and Luxembourg during the 1930s. A mature network of military facilities in the Spratlys, including an expanded Fiery Cross presence, would effectively extend China’s ability to project power […]
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China and the United States are preparing for war
China, Foreign Relations, Japan, Militarization, Mutual Defense, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, USA, Vietnam, WarUsually countries fight for gains or to prevent losses, but US experts are quite different. Michael Pillsbury, the director of the Centre on Chinese Strategy at the Hudson Institute, holds quite different views. In his recent article “China and the United States Are Preparing for War” he holds that war is inevitable because China is […]
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The Philippine Navy’s Submarine Quest
During a modernization briefing on December 17, Philippine Navy (PN) vice-chief Rear Admiral Caesar Taccad revealed future plans to acquire at least three submarines, as part of a follow-up to the ongoing 15-year P90-billion Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) modernization program. The South China Sea disputes are no doubt a key motivation, when the […]
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Overcoming the Impasse in the South China Sea: Jointly Defining EEZ Claims
The dispute involving China, Taiwan, and four Southeast Asian countries over territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the South China Sea has been described as one of the world’s most complex and intractable international relations problems. Despite its regional and international ramifications, there is no clear roadmap for how it should be managed or resolved. […]
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Malaysia And South China Sea: Will KL Abandon Its Hedging Policy? – Analysis
ASEAN, Bilateral Relations, China, Code of Conduct, Flotilla, Foreign Relations, Malaysia, Paracels, Philippines, Sabah, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, VietnamWhile Malaysia remains fully committed to a “common ASEAN position” in terms of engaging China on the South China Sea disputes, it does not want this to affect its good bilateral relations with Beijing – as do several other ASEAN states. It is unlikely that KL will change its hedging policy. By Nguyen Huu Tuc* […]
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Will China continue to provoke its neighbours in 2015?
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, China, Diaoyu, Japan, Philippines, Senkaku, South China Sea Dispute, South Korea, VietnamA nudge by air in 2013. A probe by sea in 2014. Will China take a crack on land in 2015? For the sake of world peace, let’s hope not. However, China’s nudge and probe record, especially over the last two years, should worry diplomats and alert headline writers. In 2013, China tested Japanese and […]
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China’s Grand-Strategy Challenge: Creating Its Own Islands in the South China Sea
Artificial Islands, China, Militarization, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, StrategySatellite images analyzed by defense intelligence magazine IHS Jane’s show that China is reclaiming on Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands a piece of land that bears the shape of a 3000-meter airfield and a harbor large enough to receive tankers and major warships. This is not the first, but the latest in a […]