A handful of Democrats and Republicans have expressed an interest in running for their party’s 2016 presidential nomination while others are considering. Whoever is elected as the next president of the United States, he/she should place higher priority on the South China Sea (SCS). Why? First, the SCS has emerged as a central aspect of […]
The Philippines has done some minor “repairs and maintenance” work in Filipino-occupied areas within the country’s exclusive economic zone which is allowed under international law unlike the massive land reclamations by China which are far from its territory and grossly violates the law, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said Tuesday. At the same time, Del […]
Beijing’s new land-reclamation strategy in the South China Sea has been ringing alarm bells in the region and has prompted the U.S. to accuse China of attempting to force its way to de facto control of disputed waters. Several high-definition satellite images surfaced this month of China’s land reclamation and construction on Mischief Reef in […]
In the past, China’s presence in the disputed South China Sea waters was based on what it says are historical claims to the area. Now, China is shifting its narrative from a so-called regional military “reclamation” effort based on sovereignty claims to one that boasts humanitarian contributions for the region. Despite international criticism, China has […]
ABOVE THE EAST CHINA SEA — The crew of Pelican One keeps a watchful eye as the U.S. Navy patrol plane swoops low to identify a ship operating near waters off southwestern Japan that China now claims as its territory. After a radio check and a close look confirms the ship is a harmless Panama-flagged […]
In response, China says it’s “severely concerned” about the South East Asian nations’ statement. South East Asia says China’s actions have “eroded trust and confidence and may undermine peace, security and stability”. China retorts that what it’s doing is “entirely legal and shouldn’t be questioned”. Are the gloves coming off in the South China Sea […]
AMERICA and its friends in Asia have long worried about the South China Sea becoming a Chinese lake—a vast stretch of water, through which half the world’s commercial shipping passes, falling under the control of China’s fast-expanding navy and coastguard. In the past few months these fears have been amplified by satellite pictures showing Chinese […]
Washington: The United States on Friday swiftly rejected a suggestion by a top Chinese military official who said that disputed South China Sea islands could be used for international rescue and relief operations. Beijing has been roundly criticized by the West for construction work on islands in the South China Sea, including the building of […]
MANILA, Philippines – China is making up stories to cover up the massive destruction to marine life and the environment caused by Chinese reclamation projects in the disputed Spratlys, defense officials said. Peter Paul Galvez, Department of National Defense (DND) spokesman, said China has resorted to concocting lies to defend its illegal and destructive reclamation […]
China’s reclamation activities in disputed waters of the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) damage the environment and violate international laws, international researchers said. “Large-scale reclamation work in the South China Sea using living coral reefs as building material is causing severe environmental damage. It is also against international law,” said Youna Lyons and Wong […]