MANILA, Philippines — The new U.S. commander of the Pacific Fleet assured allies Friday that American forces are well-equipped and ready to respond to any contingency in the South China Sea, where long-seething territorial disputes have set off widespread uncertainties. Adm. Scott Swift, who assumed command of the Pacific Fleet in May, said the Navy […]
U.S. Senators John McCain (Rep-Arizona) and Jack Reed (Dem-Rhode Island), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee; and Senators Bob Corker (Rep-Tennessee) and Ben Cardin (Dem-Maryland), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee released this statement: “Over the past week a legal team from the Philippines began oral arguments […]
The United States moved to reassure its jittery allies in the Asia-Pacific that it has enough firepower to maintain stability in the region that has seen increased Chinese muscle-flexing in recent years. Admiral Scott Swift, the commander of the US Pacific Fleet, said that the US could increase deployment of combat ships, if necessary, and […]
Since 2014 China has been constructing features atop seven coral reefs in the disputed Spratly/Nansha Islands of the South China Sea by dredging sand and coral from existing coral reefs. At last count China’s new features total more than 2,000 acres.[1] This activity has produced much commentary.[2] However, none of the commentary addresses all of […]
The escalating territorial dispute in the South China Sea is as much an ecological crisis as it is a geopolitical one. Dredging, land reclamation and the construction of artificial islands could be swamping centuries old reefs in sediment, endangering ecosystems that play a key role in maintaining fish stocks throughout the region. According to leading […]
China urged the Philippines on Tuesday to ditch its attempt to solve South China Sea territorial disputes with an international tribunal and instead negotiate with Beijing directly, following the arbitration panel’s latest request for input from China. The Philippines has asked the tribunal in The Hague to declare China’s claims to virtually all the South […]
After decades of operating legacy Soviet platforms, Vietnam’s navy is acquiring advanced new frigates from Russia and the Netherlands, capable new Russian diesel-electric submarines, and a host of modern anti-ship cruise missiles. The Philippines has nearly doubled its fleet of surface combat vessels in the last five years and is working to acquire two advanced […]
BEIJING — China yesterday rejected an invitation by The Hague to provide input for an arbitration case with the Philippines on overlapping claims in the South China Sea, with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issuing a sharp rebuke. “China has repeatedly expounded its position of not accepting or getting involved in these proceedings initiated […]
MANILA/SINGAPORE – On a clear night, the Filipinos who live on Pagasa Island — a speck in the vast South China Sea — can see the floodlights from giant Chinese cranes working around the clock, dredging sand to build up a nearby reef. Life on the atoll with its clutch of buildings was for decades […]
MANILA – The Philippine government may seek provisional measures against Beijing’s reclamation activities in the West Philippine Sea once the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) now hearing Manila’s complaint decides that it has jurisdiction over the case. According to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, this is one of the steps being studied by the legal […]