Spratlys
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How Close Is China to Another South China Sea Airstrip?
Airtrips, Arms build-up, Artificial Islands, China, Militarization, Paracels, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, SpratlysOn January 8, the Philippine news outlet Rappler quoted an informed defense source as saying that China is likely to finish constructing its second airstrip in the South China Sea by the end of 2015. Separately, the chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, General Gregorio Catapang Jr., also revealed that Beijing was about […]
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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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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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China Says Construction at Disputed Reef for Intelligence Gathering Use
Artificial Islands, China, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, Unsinkable Aircraft CarriersCol. Jin Zirui of the Chinese Air Force Headquarters justified the ongoing construction of an airstrip at Fiery Cross Reef, one of the islands in the Spratlys that is being disputed by several Asian nations. The base under construction is intended as support for China’s radar system and gathering of intel, Asahi quoted Col. Jin […]
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Vietnam delivered when Philippines needed it most
Arbitration, ASEAN, China, Code of Conduct, Paracels, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, UNCLOS, VietnamIt means a lot to the Philippines that Vietnam submitted a Position Paper to the Arbitral Tribunal of the United Nations that is handling the complaint filed by the Philippines against China on the conflict in the South China Sea. Probably so as not to further antagonize China, with whom the Philippines has rekindled relations […]
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SolGen: Sending EDCA to Senate would result in int’l embarrassment for PNoy
Government lawyers on Tuesday maintained that the country’s Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States is a valid executive agreement that does not need Senate concurrence. In a final effort to defend the EDCA before the Supreme Court, Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, in a 42-page memorandum, said referring the EDCA to the Senate, […]
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Transparency in Troubled Seas
ADIZ, Air Defense Identification Zone, China, Diaoyu, East China Sea, Japan, Military Conflict, Philippines, Reclamation, Senkaku, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, Vietnam, Vietnam BridgeOne month ago, the Center for Strategic and International Studies launched a new web-based program, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative. The premise of this project will be familiar to many of you: maritime competition in Asia has been steadily increasing in recent years, and doing so in an environment of informational opacity. Maritime geography makes it […]
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From “Assuring Freedom of Navigation” to “Drill, Baby, Drill” in the South China Sea
Analysis, Arbitration, China, Oil, Paracels, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, UNCLOS, VietnamAs I predicted a while back, the United States has quietly ditched its old, underperforming pretext for confrontation in the South China Sea and is sidestepping into a new justification. I do not care deeply about America’s stake in the South China Sea so I have little interest in slogging through recent American & Chinese contributions to […]
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Rough seas: Will PH ‘lawfare’ work vs China?
Arbitration, China, Justice Antonio T. Carpio, Lawfare, Paracels, Philippines, Position Paper, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, UNCLOS, VietnamMANILA, Philippines – In the so-called David versus Goliath disputes in the South China Sea, China holds the sticks and carrots. From gunboat to money diplomacy, it seizes the upper hand over its smaller neighbors. Yet the Philippines is slinging its own stone: international law. How far will this shot go? The Philippines made history […]
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Vietnam stands with PHL position on UN tribunal
Arbitration, China, Kalayaan Group of Islands, Philippines, Position Paper, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, UNCLOS, VietnamVietnam sided with Philippine government saying that the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal has jurisdiction on settling maritime disputes base on U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. “To protect its legal rights and interests in the East Sea which may be affected in the South China Sea Arbitration case, Vietnam has expressed its position […]