Spratlys
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Beijing’s South China Sea projects ‘highly disruptive’ to local ecosystems
Artificial Islands, China, Ecology, Environment, Fishing Rights, Food Security, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysThe Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said on April 13 that “China’s massive reclamation activities are causing irreversible and widespread damage to the biodiversity and ecological balance of the South China Sea.” It also said that the destruction of coral reef systems resulting from Beijing’s land reclamation projects is estimated to lead to economic losses […]
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Chinese claim of South China Sea reclamation not causing damage unacceptable —DFA
Artificial Islands, China, Coral Reefs, Environment, Fisihing Rights, Philippines, Reclamation, Scarborough Shoal, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys(Updated 12:38 p.m.) The Philippines on Monday said it finds “unacceptable” China’s claim that its massive reclamation work in several disputed South China Sea territories are not causing marine environment damage, warning that that coastal states stand to lose $100 million annually from Beijing’s activities. China’s ongoing reclamation activities, Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said, […]
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‘World should fear China’s actions in South China Sea’
China’s efforts to stake its claim to most of the South China Sea should spark fear around the world, with military conflict possible, Philippine President Benigno Aquino says. In an exclusive interview, Aquino also warned that China’s increasingly assertive actions raised the spectre of other nations having access cut to vital international shipping lanes and […]
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China reef work in Spratlys could lead to new air exclusion zone: US commander
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, Artificial Islands, China, Militarization, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, USAWASHINGTON – China could eventually deploy radar and missile systems on outposts it is building in the South China Sea that could be used to enforce an exclusion zone over the disputed territory, the US military commander for Asia said on Wednesday. Admiral Samuel Locklear, speaking at a congressional hearing in Washington, described as “aggressive” the land reclamation and construction […]
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US$11.5bn spent by China to expand disputed Fiery Cross Reef
Artificial Islands, China, Fiery Cross Reef, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, Taiwan, USA, VietnamChina has spared no expense on its land reclamation activities in the South China Sea, spending an estimated 73.6 billion yuan (US$11.5 billion) on expanding Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratlys alone, reports our Chinese-language sister paper China Times. For at least a year, China has been actively reclaiming land on seven islands in the […]
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Chinese reclaimed land worries US
Artificial Islands, China, Great Wall of Sand, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, USATOKYO — An influential U.S. Navy official made waves recently with an unusually open criticism of Beijing. “China is creating a great wall of sand, with dredges and bulldozers, over the course of months,” he said. U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Harry Harris’ remarks highlight a growing sense of crisis among American military about Beijing’s recent behavior in […]
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South China Sea: China Is Building on the Paracels As Well
Artificial Islands, China, Paracels, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, VietnamAs Vietnam’s Communist Party Chief Nguyen Phu Trong met with China’s President Xi Jinping in Beijing last week, China’s government news service Xinhua extolled a “deep-rooted partnership” between the two nations. But 400 kilometers off Vietnam’s coast, in the Paracel Islands, China was rapidly consolidating its hold on islands that both countries vehemently claim as […]
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Who’s Got the Biggest Muscles in the South China Sea?
The United States and China have been trading barbs over each other’s ‘strength’ and ‘muscle’ as alarm continues to intensify about Beijing’s massive land reclamation activities in the South China Sea. U.S. President Barack Obama told a town-hall event in Jamaica last Thursday ahead of a Caribbean summit in Panama that Washington was concerned about […]
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Not helpless against China
Artificial Islands, China, Militarization, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysAs we continue to preoccupy ourselves with debates on the Bangsamoro Basic Law and who really is responsible for the death of the SAF 44, China has been busy reclaiming the Spratly Islands and building structures on reefs considered by the Philippines as part of its exclusive economic zone under the UN Convention on the […]
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Challenging China’s hegemony in the South China Sea
The April 9 editorial “ ‘Great Wall of sand’ ” asked the right question: “Why is China paving over these Pacific atolls?” The “why” is clear: to gain unchallenged hegemony in the South China Sea. And the threat is stark: The sea is a vital commercial and security link between the Pacific and Indian oceans. […]