USA
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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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Philippines seeks help from U.S. in South China Sea dispute
(Reuters) – The Philippines is seeking more “substantive” support from its long-time security ally United States on how to counter China’s rapid expansion in the South China Sea, the foreign secretary said on Wednesday. China’s rapid reclamation around seven reefs in the Spratly archipelago of the South China Sea has alarmed claimants, including the Philippines […]
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China is building its first runway on a disputed island chain in the South China Sea
Airstrip, Artificial Islands, China, Militarization, Philippines, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, USAChina has begun construction of a military-length runway on an artificial island in the disputed South China Sea, according to an analysis by IHS Jane’s based on satellite imagery from Airbus Defense and Space. The runway is being constructed along the Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands. According to Jane’s, the reef will be […]
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Beijing’s Fait Accompli in the South China Sea
Analysis, Artificial Islands, China, Diplomatic Relations, Foreign Relations, Militarization, Reclamation, South China Sea Dispute, Spratlys, USAUnprecedented? Or perhaps even refreshing? For the first time, Beijing has offered a more elaborate clarification about its recent activities in the South China Sea? Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying, in response to a question posed during the ministry press conference on April 9 about Chinese land reclamation around the Meiji Reef […]
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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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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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Indonesia eyes regular navy exercises with U.S. in South China Sea
(Reuters) – Indonesia wants to hold regular military exercises with the United States near the sparsely populated Natuna archipelago, an area of the South China Sea near China’s claims, a navy spokesman said on Monday. Although Indonesia is not a claimant in the South China Sea, the military has accused China of including parts of […]