USA
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U.S. Forming Anti-China Security Alliance in Asia
The United States is in the process of building a new “security architecture” among its allies in the Asia-Pacific in response to China’s increasingly aggressive moves in the disputed South China Sea. The security alliance will consist of the Philippines, Vietnam, Australia and Japan, according to unnamed official sources in the Philippine government. Press reports […]
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China’s Push in the South China Sea Divides the Region
ASEAN, Brunei, China, Code of Conduct, Diplomatic Relations, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South China Sea Dispute, USA, VietnamAs China brings in a $1 billion oil exploration rig, parking it in a disputed region of the South China Sea and unleashing a deadly anti-China protest in Vietnam, nearby Southeast Asian neighbors appear relatively mute and impotent. Burma (also known as Myanmar), which hosted the meeting of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations, […]
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Xinhua: ASEAN Should Avoid Being Divided by South China Sea Issue
It was a busy week in China news, with the China-Vietnam stand-off continuing, the U.S. charging five PLA officers with cybercrimes, and a terrorist attack bringing tragedy to Xinjiang. Below, some stories you may have missed on the developments: Xinhua responds to the news that Vietnam and the Philippines are growing closer together in the […]
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A Hole in the U.S. Approach to Beijing on South China Sea
America tackles China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea from a legal angle, but the law it refers to is one the U.S. itself isn’t a party to. As Andrew Browne writes in this week’s China’s World column: In the contest for control over the South China Sea and its natural resources, China always has […]
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Xi Jinping’s Excellent Adventure: A Calibrated Takeover of the South China Sea
China, Japan, Militarization, Oil Rig, Paracels, Philippines, Russia, South China Sea Dispute, USA, VietnamChairman Mao’s “little red book” is no longer a fashion accessory in Beijing, but China’s leaders seem to be drawing inspiration from one of its aphorisms: “There is great disorder under the Heavens and the situation is excellent.” Judging by the calculatedly risky steps they have taken — like moving a gigantic drilling rig deep […]
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In US, Chinese General Defends South China Sea Oil Rig
Anti China Protesters, China, Diplomatic Relations, Foreign Policy, Intentional Rammings, Mob Violence, Oil, Oil Rig, Paracels, South China Sea Dispute, USA, Vietnam, Water CannonGeneral Fang Fenghui, the Chief of the General Staff of the PLA, arrived in Washington, DC today for formal meetings with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey. According to Dempsey and Fang’s comments during their joint press conference, they held extensive discussions on the military relationship, including counterterrorism, the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, […]
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ALL TALK? | Allies question US’ ‘ironclad commitment’ amid Chinese aggression
WASHINGTON/MANILA — US President Barack Obama sought to reassure allies in Asia last month that the United States would support them in the face of a more assertive China. But after one of Beijing’s boldest moves in years to lay claim to contested waters off Vietnam, some Asian countries are asking a simple question: Where […]
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Why Did China Set Up an Oil Rig Within Vietnamese Waters?
The who, what, where, when and how of China’s HD-981 oil rig foray into Vietnamese waters have been addressed comprehensively, both by commentators here at The Diplomat and elsewhere. The enduring question, as with many of China’s provocative actions in the Asia-Pacific, remains why? The opacity of China’s internal decision-making processes makes it rather difficult to conclusively answer that question, but a good amount […]
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China ‘determined’ to change status quo in South China Sea
The confrontation began on May 2 when the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation placed its deep sea drilling rig HD-981 in disputed waters of the South China Sea. As Vietnam objected, China deployed some 80 ships, including seven military vessels, along with aircraft to support the rig. Hanoi reacted by dispatching 29 ships to […]
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South China Sea becoming ‘boiling pot’ amid rising tensions, analysts say
China, Intentional Rammings, Joint Military Exercises, Mutual Defense, Oil Rig, Paracels, Philippines, Poaching, Spratlys, USA, Vietnam, Water CannonThe escalating stand-offs between China and Vietnam, and between Beijing and Manila, will push Southeast Asian nations to build up their maritime capabilities, resulting in heightened tensions in the South China Sea, observers say. The nations were also likely to embrace a stronger United States presence in the region to Beijing’s dismay, they said, pointing […]