Monthly Archives: April 2016

Australian-Chinese leaders urge support for ‘motherland’ in South China Sea dispute

A forum held in Sydney last Saturday was billed as a chance to “clarify facts and standardise understanding” about the maritime territorial dispute to Australia’s north. An official news report of the gathering, written in Chinese and translated for the ABC’s AM program, said the aims of convening the forum “were to unify thoughts through […]

DFA expects ruling on West PH Sea dispute anytime soon

SAN FERNANDO CITY, April 11 – The Philippine government expects an international tribunal hearing an arbitration case it filed to invalidate China’s claims in the South China Sea to issue a decision in the coming weeks. Department of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Charles Jose said the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague will […]

SOUTH CHINA SEA WATCH: China Alarms 2 Other Asian Nations

Tensions in the South China Sea are rising, pitting China against smaller and weaker neighbors who all lay claim to islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters rich in fish and potential gas and oil reserves. China’s recent construction of artificial islands complete with airstrips and radar stations, and U.S. patrols challenging Beijing’s vast territorial […]

The South China Sea Disputes: Past, Present, and Future

An interview with Bill Hayton, author of The South China Sea: The Struggle for Power in Asia. This interview was previously published on the Young China Watchers’ blog and is reprinted here with kind permission. Young China Watchers is a global network of China-focused young professionals across nine chapter cities, engaging with the most pressing […]

Will South China Sea Eventually Belong To China?

The South China Sea has been at the center of tensions since Beijing decided to push its initiatives in the region. With more nations stepping up their claims and defenses, analysts say that China is working on a more robust strategy to claim the region. Will South China Sea eventually belong to China? Beijing has […]

China’s Super Strategy to Dominate South China Sea: Little Green Fisherman

China’s militarized fishing fleet is Beijing’s analogue to Russia’s ‘little green men’. The protection of ‘innocent actors’ from local authorities (for instance, the Indonesian Coast Guard lawfully defending its EEZ) is only the latest event in which Chinese coast guard vessels were empowered to conduct acts of war. Article 62 of the United Nations Convention […]