South China Sea Dispute
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Asia Reacts to China’s South China Sea Airstrip
In what was the first ever port call between the countries, two Vietnamese frigates visited the Philippines on Tuesday. An unnamed Filipino naval officer said the two countries would hold peaceful joint patrols and operations in the Spratlys. But the timing of the maiden port call was clear. It coincides with the first anniversary of […]
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South China Sea: Still no evidence of historical Chinese claims
Two scholars have responded to my call for supporters of Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea to provide verifiable evidence in support of their arguments. However the response of Dr Li Dexia and Tan Keng Tat (http://www.rsis.edu.sg/rsis-publication/rsis/co14165) shows just how difficult this task is likely to be. They are unable to prove any […]
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How to deal with Chinese assertiveness: it’s time to impose costs
ASEAN, Cabbage Strategy, China, Code of Conduct, Militarization, Philippines, Rebalance, Scarborough Shoal, South China Sea Dispute, USAChina’s reemergence as a wealthy and powerful nation is a fact. In recent decades its rise has been unprecedented, moving from the tenth-largest economy in 1990, to the sixth-largest economy in 2001, to the second-largest economy in 2010. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China now surpasses the United States in terms of purchasing […]
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Maritime Claims in the South China Sea
Arbitration, China, International Law, maritime claims, Memorial, Position Paper, regional security, South China Sea, South China Sea Dispute, Territorial Disputes, U.S. Department of State, USAExplore the U.S. Department of State’s “Limits in the Seas No. 143,” detailing China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea, released December 5, 2014. Understand the legal and regional implications of these claims.
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A look at South China Sea conflicts
Airstrip, Artificial Islands, China, Fiery Cross Reef, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, SpratylsA couple of weeks ago, IHS Jane’s, a leading British publishing company specializing in military topics, reported that China was reclaiming land at Fiery Cross Reef in the South China Sea and transforming permanently submerged features that do not qualify as an island under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea into […]
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F-22 Raptors Deployed to Japan as Show of Force to China, N. Korea
The US Air Force has deployed several F-22 Raptor jets from an Alaska air base to Japan to partake in exercises, according to reports. The deployment, according to the Aviationist, has the dual purpose in allowing “U.S. aircrews fly and train with local Japan Air Self Defense Forces, and show the presence of Washington’s most […]
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China urged: Respect PH court decision on poachers
China, Chinese Poachers, Illegal Fishing, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, Supreme CourtMANILA, Philippines – China was asked yesterday to respect a Philippine court decision imposing a fine of $100,000 (P4.3 million) each on nine Chinese fishermen for poaching in Philippine waters plus P120,000 ($2,666) each for taking wildlife. Speaking to reporters, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Charles Jose said the nine Chinese fishermen have undergone […]
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Vietnam-Philippines port call amid concern over China’s SCS airstrip
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, Airstrip, Artificial Islands, China, Reclamation, Scarborough Shoal, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysLate last week, an IHS Jane’s report corroborated claims that China was embarking on an island-building project in the South China Sea. Based on satellite imagery, Jane’s reported that China was building an airstrip-capable island on Fiery Cross Reef, a group of three reefs in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. China claims the territory as part of Hainan […]
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The South China Sea: Navigating the Most Dangerous Place in the World
Analysis, China, Japan, Malaysia, Military Conflict, Mutual Defense Treaty, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, USA, VietnamWhen people ponder where the next major conflict might erupt, they often look to the South China Sea – the scene of the potentially most explosive, intractable, overlapping sovereignty claims in the world. What can the United States do to find a peaceful solution to tensions between China, the Philippines and Vietnam, and indirectly between […]
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China’s Friendship Treaty: A Distraction from South China Sea Diplomacy
Artificial Islands, ASEAN, China, Code of Conduct, Japan, Philippines, Reclamation, Silk Road, South China Sea Dispute, VietnamAs China once again offers ASEAN states billions of dollars and promotes another treaty for “Good Neighborly and Friendly Cooperation” (which sounds an awful lot like the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation), Southeast Asian nations should consider how China perceives ASEAN and what goals it hopes to gain from its interactions with the bloc. By […]