Monthly Archives: February 2016

China criticizes Philippines over South China Sea dispute

WASHINGTON (AP) ” China has accused the U.S.-allied Philippines of “political provocation” in seeking international arbitration over territorial claims in the South China Sea. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday the decision by Philippine leaders to lodge a case with a tribunal in The Hague was “irresponsible to the Filipino people and the future […]

US toughens talk on South China Sea

The two Pacific powers are vying for influence as China continues its rapid development of military assets on islands and atolls in the region. The United States is stepping up its firepower in the South China Sea to counter China’s military expansion in the region. Tensions are continuing to rise in an area disputed by […]

China cements position as sea power; adopts law on deep sea exploration

BEIJING: China on Friday adopted a new law on deep sea exploration, state media said, the country’s latest move to cement its status as a seagoing power. President Xi Jinping is reforming the military and investing in submarines and aircraft carriers, as China’s navy becomes more assertive in its territorial disputes in the East and […]

China to secure ‘de facto’ control of S. China Sea: US admiral

“If China continues to arm all of the bases they have reclaimed in the South China Sea, they will change the operational landscape in the region,” Harris told Pentagon reporters. “Short of war with the United States, China will exercise de facto control of the South China Sea.” Harris, who heads up the US Pacific […]

Sunnylands or Rancho Mirage? ASEAN and the South China Sea

STANFORD: It was meant to be a sunny summit. Welcoming ASEAN’s leaders at the Sunnylands estate, President Obama said he had invited them to southern California, not cold and snowy Washington, to reciprocate the warm welcomes he had received in their own countries on his seven presidential trips to Southeast Asia. Appreciative laughter ensued. Naturally […]

Chinese Foreign Minister in Washington: South China Sea Ours ‘Since Ancient Times’

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Secretary of State John Kerry that the South China Sea belongs to his country and they have every right to defend their territory, despite a lack of evidence China ever legally controlled the territory it claims in the region. “The islands in the South China Sea have been China’s […]

Vietnam invites India to explore resources in disputed South China Sea region

NEW DELHI: Vietnam on Wednesday invited strategic partner India to explore and exploit natural resources within the Southeast Asian countries 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea (SCS) region where China has deployed fighter jets besides surface-to-air missiles ratcheting up tensions. “Vietnam has sovereign rights and jurisdiction within 200 nautical miles of […]

Contest Over South China Sea Spurred in Part by Resources

HONG KONG— With tensions mounting over maritime disputes in the South China Sea, the cause of the problem, at least in part, is believed to lie at the bottom of the water. But it is still unclear exactly how much oil and natural gas lurk beneath the surface. Along with fishing and lucrative shipping routes, […]