Monthly Archives: August 2015

Asean warns of ‘increased tensions’

KUALA LUMPUR: Land reclamations in the West Philippine (South China) Sea have “increased tensions” in the region, Southeast Asian foreign ministers said on Thursday at the close of talks dominated by Beijing’s island-building. The declaration, contained in a final communique, followed a warning by US Secretary of State John Kerry that Washington would not tolerate […]

PH, Japan accused of collusion by China

BEIJING—Japan and the Philippines teamed up at a regional security forum this week to attack China over the disputed South China Sea, China’s foreign ministry said, as details emerged of sometimes testy exchanges during the talks in Malaysia. In a statement released around midnight on Thursday, the ministry cited Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as […]

Conspiracy denied

MANILA denied  Friday China’s claim that Japan and the Philippines ganged up against China at a regional security forum this week on the disputed South China Sea. Foreign Affairs spokesperson Charles Jose said there was no team-up between Japan and the Philippines, saying it was simply what the two countries saw was happening in the […]

Pressure grows on China over land reclamation

The 10-nation grouping met in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, and the summit was attended by envoys from a dozen or so non-members, including China, Japan, South Korea and the U.S. Beijing lays claims to almost all of the South China Sea, which covers rich fishing grounds and potentially huge reserves of oil and gas. The delay is an indication […]

South China Sea dispute: Countries express concerns over China’s land reclamation

NEW DELHI: Tensions came to the fore at the ongoing East Asia and Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting in Malaysia, with countries including USA, India, Japan and Australia expressing deep concern over China’s territorial claim and creation of artificial islands in the South China Sea (SCS) region. This happened even as China asserted that it has […]

PLAAF plans to extend control to Western Pacific: report

The People’s Liberation Army Air Force intend to expand their area of control to the Western Pacific, according to a report by Vassily Kashin, senior research fellow at the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, published on Moscow-based Sputnik News, cited by China’s nationalistic tabloid Global Times. The source of the report is […]

South China Sea: India backs Vietnam, others against China

India on Thursday supported the stand taken by some South-East Asian nations that have called for freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, where China is locked in maritime disputes with many of its neighbours. In his remarks at the fifth East Asia Summit foreign ministers’ meeting in Kuala Lumpur, junior foreign minister V.K. […]

Obama opposes sailing close to China’s man-made islands

The Sanya, a Type 054A guided-missile frigate, ready for its deployment to the Gulf of Aden. (Photo/Xinhua) President Barack Obama of the United States is at odds with several of his naval commanders because of his opposition to the deployment of warships to disputed waters in the South China Sea, reports the Christian Today. It […]

Regaining the Initiative in the South China Sea

To endeavor to seize the strategic initiative in military struggle, proactively plan for military struggle in all directions and domains, and grasp the opportunities to accelerate military building, reform and development. – Chinese Military Strategy, Chinese Ministry of National Defense, May 26, 2015. On May 26, the State Council Information Office released an English-language version […]